Eternal Calm Before the Storm
by CrimsonFireLord
Summary: A year after Tidus's resurrection, the Farplane erupts into chaos. The dead are now wandering Spira, some happily reuniting with their families, and some causing destruction. The events ultimately lead to an investigation for Yuna and her crew, and she will soon find herself faced with a choice to make for Spira's future. (Based off FFX Will/ Eien no Daisho)
1. An Unheeded Warning

**An Unheeded Warning**

Tidus definitely had cold feet.

Maybe it was from the chilly air, or maybe it was his two-year absence. Either way, the star of the Zanarkand Abes was giving into his insecurities about his blitzball skills. A few plays against his fellow Aurochs, and his worries faded away, only slightly. Missing a victory was one thing, but losing against the Besaid Aurochs? Despite the humiliation, Tidus didn't allow himself to be jaded. After all, he knew his number one fan would always be cheering for him.

He was staring at the sunset with a blitzball under his shoe. He kicked the ball upward and bounced it on his knee. He forced the ball high into the air with his head and jumped to kick it. Before his foot could connect with the ball, he heard a call from the distance. Tidus lost his focus and he stumbled when he landed on his feet.

"Yo!" Wakka said to him. "Practice ended like five hours ago, ya? Why you still out here?"

"Why not?" Tidus said.

"Aren't ya tired?" Wakka went to pick up the blizball that fell a few feet away.

"Nah, I gotta be ready for the game tomorrow," Tidus said.

Wakka chuckled. "Bro, you haven't stopped blitzing all week. I think you're more than ready. Star players gotta take a break too, you know."

Tidus looked at the sky where the sun finally sank below the horizon. The last time he'd noticed, the sun was high in the sky, peering down on him with intensity. He let time slip away as he distracted himself by perfecting his skills.

"What else am I gonna do?" Tidus said.

"Go hang out with Yuna."

"Yeah…" Tidus said. "I don't think that's gonna happen tonight."

"I talked to the old folks," Wakka said. "They said they'll let Yuna go with you tomorrow."

Tidus turned to him, his mouth slightly open. "Seriously?! Right on!"

He held his fist in the air, but immediately let it fall to his side. "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch, man," Wakka replied. "I think they feel bad about hoverin' over her, ya?"

"It's been how long and they're just now thinking about that?" Tidus held his hands behind his head.

Wakka shrugged. "What are ya gonna do with them?"

Tidus smiled. He was even more excited about winning this game than before. He thought of Yuna calling his name from the audience and congratulating him afterwards with her affection. It would be the first time in several months she'd get to see him play.

"You should come too, Wakka," Tidus said. "I need your support too."

"I would, but you know Lu," Wakka said. "Don't think she'll let me, ya?"

"Why don't you just ask?"

"Hah, gee I hadn't thought of that." he said, sarcastically.

"Come on, man," Tidus said. "She'll let you go if you say you'd be watching over Yuna."

Wakka thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll ask. But I'm telling ya, she's really gonna fight me on this one."

"Yeah, but you can take her," Tidus said, laughing slightly.

When the two arrived back at the village, Tidus saw Yuna patiently waiting for him at the bonfire. She stood up from the ground and walked over to him.

"You're late," she said, a grin on her face.

"Heh, I know…" Tidus said. "Sorry."

Tidus tried to make it up to her by taking her for a walk in the jungle. Wakka and Lulu told them "no funny business" and they were inclined to agree, though Yuna wasn't sure what Wakka and Lulu were implying when they said that.

"So… what did the oldies have to say?" Tidus asked.

"It wasn't anything I hadn't heard before," Yuna said.

"It must get old real fast, huh?" Tidus said. "Talking to those people about the same thing over and over."

"It would seem so," Yuna held her hands behind her back. "But this is my duty."

"Right,"

Yuna tilted her head up to look at the night sky. The moonlight reflected off her face and the breeze blew through her hair.

"I know I've been away," she said. "More than I wanted to. It is… hard sometimes, and I would rather be spending my time like this. With you."

"Well then maybe we should run away together!" Tidus said. "Run away and never come back!"

Yuna giggled. "That would be nice."

"But…?"

"Well… me being High Summoner and all," Yuna said. "I can't just… run away. These people depend on me. I'm their peace of mind. I'm their comfort."

"I know, I know," Tidus said. "But it's not like you don't have a say in what you can and can't do in your life, Yuna. This is _your_ story, after all."

"It's just not that simple,"

"I know I'll never understand," Tidus said. "But I can tell you want more than this. You deserve it too, after everything you did for Spira."

Yuna looked at the ground. They'd walked far into the jungle and arrived at the top of the cliff overlooking the village.

"It's just that… I can't," Yuna said. "It would be… well…"

"Selfish?" Tidus said.

"Yes,"

"But Yuna," Tidus began. "You have a right to be selfish just for a little bit, right? You've sacrificed a lot for everyone else. Hell, you almost died for them. Why can't they just give you a little bit of freedom to make up for it?"

"It just can't happen…"

"Why not?"

"Because!"

Tidus looked at her. Her eyes were avoiding his, and she sighed after her small outburst. Tidus hated tense moments like this knowing how important the times they were able to talk was to him. He was pushing it, he knew, but he couldn't stand Yuna being repressed anymore. It pained him to see her trapped in these obligations when she was still very young. However, Yuna convinced herself that two adventures, one being her pilgrimage, were enough, and she needed to return to being responsible for these people. She'd already disappointed them enough by escaping without a word with the Gullwings.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just… it's been a long day today… I didn't mean to…"

"I get it," Tidus said, wrapping his arms around her. "I shouldn't have pushed you like that."

Yuna held him close. She rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Promise me one thing," she said.

"Hm?"

"Even though I'll continue on," she said. "Promise me we'll be able to do this. Always."

"Yeah, definitely."

Yuna pulled away to look into his deep sea blue eyes. She traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips. He ran a hand through her hair. When their lips met, she felt a burning desire deep inside. Something she'd been feverishly wanting to give into for a very long time. Their kiss deepened, and Yuna felt his tongue exploring her mouth. Tidus slid his hands down to her hips, and she gripped the back of his hair. A couple seconds later, Yuna was underneath him with her back against the ground, feeling him grind his hips against hers. Tidus broke their kiss and looked at her with lust in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked, breathing heavily atop of her. He took the time to admire her in that state, her chest heaving just below his, her eyes almost begging.

She nodded eagerly and he smiled as he undressed her.

Wakka was nervous about asking Lulu permission to attend the blitzball game. He knew it was important to support Tidus. Back at his house, he was looking at himself in the vanity, observing his beard which had grown an inch and a half.

"Damn, I really need to shave…" he said.

Lulu stood behind him. She had Vidina on her hip and was humming the Hymn of the Fayth as she lulled him to sleep. It never failed to soothe the hearts of the people, and at this time, Wakka liked to sit and listen to her. Once the baby was put to bed, Wakka searched through his drawers for his straight razor and some cream. With two fingers, he spread the translucent cream over his facial hair. He carefully aligned the blade against his face and felt a sting.

"You shouldn't hold the blade at that angle," Lulu said to him. He turned to her, a small drop of blood appearing from his cut.

"I'm never good at this, ya?" Lulu grabbed a cloth and wet it. She came up to him and wiped the blood.

"Let me do it," she said. "I have a steadier hand anyway."

He sat on the bed and she spread more cream on his face. Wakka draped a small towel on his shoulders to catch the shavings. Lulu took the razor, and she paused as his eyes lowered to her chest.

"Woah… hello…" Her bosom was only a couple inches away from his face. She gently lifted his chin up with her hand.

"My eyes are up here." She said. "Tilt your head that way." She glided the blade along his jaw. Wakka didn't have to ask her to do this. She was already aware he wasn't good at it. There were many little things like this that he wasn't good at that she did for him. When she stopped to wipe the blade on the cloth, Wakka took the time to speak.

"You know, Tidus is going to that game tomorrow, ya?" he said. "He said he wasn't as excited about it as before."

"Oh?" Lulu started on the other side. "Isn't Yuna going with him now?"

Wakka couldn't speak so he just said "mhmmm".

"Well, then she can give him the boost he needs," Lulu said. "What does he have to worry about? He's a professional. He's won many games in the past, hasn't he?"

"Well yeah, but I think there's something else going on with him, ya?"

Lulu wrapped the blade in the cloth.

"Like what?"

"Well…" his speech was cut off as Lulu continued running the blade against his face.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm almost done."

Once she finished, she took the towel off his shoulders and wiped off the cream residue. She studied the leftover stubble on his face.

"Much better," she said. "Now, you were saying?"

"I can't tell for sure, but I got a feeling there's something going on with him and Yuna."

"What kind of thing?"

"Can't say," Wakka said. "But they're not the way they used to be."

"Well, of course not," Lulu said. "They've changed in the past three years, haven't they?"

"Yeah but… this kind of change is different," Wakka felt the cut on his jaw.

"Hmm, I think I know what you mean," Lulu said. "But I'm assuming Tidus is just frustrated about Yuna spending so much time with the elders."

"I guess," Wakka said. "Anyway, he asked me if I could go with him too. Said he needed all the support he can get."

Lulu sighed. "I see…"

"Come on, Lu," Wakka pleaded. "I haven't been to a game at all since Vidina was born, ya? Retirement's really starting to get to me."

"You went into retirement when you became a guardian," Lulu said. "Not when we had our son."

"I know but…" Wakka hung his head. "Just this once, I wanna see my team play again. I wanna see how good they been getting, ya? I'll take care of him when I get back. He's still my main priority."

Lulu was sipping the tea she'd made in the small kitchen. She thought about Wakka's request. She promised him that she'd let him go back to his team when Vidina was a bit older, but she didn't actually think it would happen. Taking care of her son by herself seemed difficult, even though she was confident she could do it. Still, there were times she felt like she was suffocating Wakka. It would be this one time, and Lulu would make sure he'd owe her.

"Alright,"

Wakka perked his head up. "Really? You mean it?"

"Sure, you bother me sometimes anyways," she said. "I want to see your happiness in doing something you love, though."

Wakka came up to her and hugged her from behind.

"Thanks, Lu," Wakka said. "But I love my family more than that, ya?"

She rested her head against his chest, smiling at his last sentence.

 _The first time I came to Luca, I knew we would take home the cup. Now, I was even less sure than when I was practicing. I didn't tell Yuna that night, but I felt this sharp pain in my side, and it was enough to make me consider holding off from playing this time._

Tidus was watching the waves from the boat. The sea breeze was comforting and the smell of the ocean brought back memories. Wakka was standing next to him. Tidus was glad to have both his supporters by his side. He'd hoped their presence would lift his spirits at least a little.

"Are you nervous?" Tidus turned to Yuna. He scoffed.

"Me? Nervous? Yeah, right."

"Sorry, you just looked a little out of it," she told him.

"Nah, I'm just thinking," he said.

"What about?"

"Us." Yuna blushed.

Wakka stretched his arms. "Alright, I better get outta here before it gets weird, ya?" He walked over to the cockpit to talk with his teammates.

Yuna walked over to the edge of the boat. She thought about when she and Tidus first stood together on the deck, and when he grabbed her hand when Sin attacked. It didn't seem like that long ago.

"I'll be waving my hands like this, and that way you'll know it was for you." Yuna said. Tidus laughed softly.

"And I'll do the same," Tidus said. He stretched his torso and his hand went to his side as he winced in pain.

"Are you alright?" Yuna said.

"Yeah…"

"You don't look well…" Yuna said.

"I'm fine, Yuna, really."

She saw that he wasn't looking at her when he said that. He positioned himself to look as if he wasn't feeling his injury. His hand was still gripping his side.

"Are you really okay?" she asked again.

"I'm fine, Yuna!"

She turned her head away from him. "Sorry."

"Don't be, I just feel like everyone's been asking me that and I told them a million times I'm perfectly okay. Everything's perfectly okay."

Tidus felt his confidence restored once they arrived in Luca. Fans gathered around him and Yuna, calling to both of them.

"Lady Yuna!"

"Tidus! You're my hero!"

"We love you!"

Wakka stood in front of the two, clearing a path for the celebrities.

"Alright, back it up people! Give 'em some air!" The Aurochs were behind them, making sure there was no physical contact.

In the locker room, Tidus only had a few minutes to go over the basics with the boys and unwind. He took a sip of his water and exhaled sharply. The nerves were starting to psych him.

Wakka placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay there, bud?"

"Yeah, just fine," he said. He wished Yuna were there to wish him luck, but she left to find a place for her and Wakka to sit. Tidus held his head in between his legs.

"Hey, you don't gotta worry about winning, right?" Wakka said. "Just stay focused, ya?"

"Right…"

Wakka wasn't convinced. He looked at his friend and noticed he didn't jump up and disagree with him when he said the team didn't have to win. Wakka had never seen Tidus look so unhappy to go out in the sphere pool and play his favorite sport.

"You sure you're okay, man?"

Tidus groaned. "Why does everyone keep bugging me about it? I told you and Yuna I'm fine."

"We're just worried about you, ya?"

"Well don't," Tidus said. "It just stresses me out."

"Alright, then," Wakka said.

The Aurochs were anxious. Whenever their star player wasn't sure of his ability to win, the team shared the same doubts. They'd gotten better thanks to him, but he was still the one to carry the load. Tidus reassured them that they had nothing to fear before they emptied out of the locker room.

"Make me proud out there, ya?" Wakka called after them.

Yuna was sitting in the audience and was overwhelmed by the enormous crowd of cheering people. She folded her hands across her lap and Wakka joined her after a short time.

"Did he say anything?" she asked.

"Not really," Wakka said, sitting down on the bleacher. "But, hey, I think it's just nerves. He'll be alright once he gets his head in the game, ya?"

"I hope so," Yuna said.

Tidus played his heart out. He intercepted, passed, and scored, but he was synchronizing with the opponents. The Ronso Fangs were known for their strength and Tidus found himself being tackled and losing the ball several times. He fumbled the ball and when he tried to score a third time, it hit the edge of the goal. After a few minutes, the score was 2-2. Tidus only had about two minutes left. Suddenly, the wound on his side sent unbearable pain throughout his body. Tidus held it and he was trying to hold himself upwards in the pool. He heard the crowd chanting his name and cheering for the Aurochs. Not even a second later, Tidus was hit in the back of the head with the blitzball.

The crowd gasped. Tidus was floating on his stomach with his arms expanded out. His team surrounded him and the announcer did a "close-up" on the action. Tidus felt loud ringing in his ears and his entire body froze. There was only fifty seconds left in the game. Tidus's eyes shot open and he rushed to retrieve the missed pass. He grabbed the ball and dodged each tackle from the opposite team. He threw the ball with all his might into the Fangs's goal and it went through. The score read 3-2 just as the clock went to 0 for half-time. Everyone in the crowd stood up and waved their hands in the air, praising Tidus for his last minute score. Everyone except for Wakka and Yuna, who looked at each other with equal concern. Tidus left before the others for the locker room and Yuna frantically ran down the bleachers to tend to her injured lover.

The Aurochs won 4-3, and by the time it was over, Tidus was more than glad. He was embarrassed about his public blunder. The rush of fans didn't help either. They were asking the same question Yuna was pestering him about earlier that day. He wore a weak smile for their sake, and Wakka helped guide him and Yuna back onto the boat to depart for Besaid.

It was barely before sunset, but Tidus said he wanted to leave already. Yuna and Wakka didn't argue. Tidus didn't want to talk about the incident. He stood at the front of the boat with his hands on his hips and stared into the vast oceanic horizon. His friends were right behind him, not knowing what to say next.

By the time the boat reached Besaid, Tidus seemed to be in a cheerier mood.

"Whoo! That was a rush, wasn't it?" he said.

"Yeah, that was a super close game!" Wakka said. Tidus leapt off the boat onto the sand.

"Damn that game host!" Tidus said. "He just _had_ to make a big deal out of it!"

Wakka jumped from the boat, laughing heartily, but he stopped in his tracks. Tidus nearly crashed into his burly body.

"Wakka?" Tidus looked at what Wakka had his eyes on. The team spotted a woman laying on the sand a few feet from the boat, unconscious, and looked as if she'd been there for a long time.


	2. Anomalies

**Anomalies**

Back in the overcrowded streets of Bevelle, the Spiran Council was gathered for their weekly overview. The combination of the three factions resulted in a variety of things: the division that New Yevon and the Youth League created had - mostly - disappeared, the three mindsets were able to incorporate different solutions to different issues, and the three leaders were able to make peace with each other while sharing a workspace. The problems began with an increased amount of issues that already had solutions still came about. Complaints about how the older traditions of Spira were being "forced" out of operation by the Machine Faction and their mechanical creations, concerns about the integration of the Guado, and many others. Oftentimes, the Council found that these types of issues were inevitable, but unfortunately had to be left unresolved. Each men had done their best to grant everyone's wishes, but there was only so much they could do. The Guado were not all responsible for the damage Seymour Guado had done, the three explained. They deserved to have a place in this world, exactly as the Al Bhed did, and just like them, the Council didn't see any reason to descriminate against the Guado because of past conflicts. As for the fading traditions, it was as Gippal said once, "out with the old". The younger generation didn't hesitate to discard Yevon's teachings, or even the daily prayers at the temples, and they, too, were increasing in numbers. Nooj, and Gippal were prepared as much as they could have been to deal with their daily grievances that morning, but this particular problem they were about to face wasn't like anything they've ever dealt with.

Kurgum, one of their authorized senders, was delivering a package sent from the Moonflow by a concerned onlooker. As he walked through the halls of the palace, he nervously greeted the stationed guards and his shaky arms held the object. Once he entered the conference room, all eyes focused on him and Kurgum was trying to make himself smaller in the large, open space.

"I-I… I have a package for you… Chancellor Baralai…" he said. He held his arms out, holding a small, cardboard box.

"Bring it here," Baralai told him. Kurgum obeyed, dragging his feet past the statues and up to the large table, where the three looked sternly with tired eyes. He gently laid the package on the mahogany surface. Baralai gave him a somewhat dismissive look before tearing open the package and bringing out a newer-styled sphere than many of the treasures brought from sphere hunting.

"Just a sphere, huh?" Gippal replied.

"I guess I could say it's an urgent matter." Baralai said. The sigh that came after his statement made Kurgum feel guilty about pestering him.

The sphere seemed nothing out of the ordinary. It was a shoopuff happily feeding on the small creatures on the surface of the Moonflow. Its legs were in the water and a few moonlilies decorated its surroundings, along with a few pyreflies. Before Baralai could scold Kurgum about bringing basically nothing to them, something peculiar happened. A swarm of pyreflies gathered out of the blue and in the blink of an eye, there stood another shoopuff. The pyreflies, which usually composed the bodies of fiends and unsents, brought a shoopuff into the world. It had literally appeared out of thin air. The sphere stopped playing and Baralai sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead.

"Wasn't that the last shoopuff of its kind?" Nooj asked, leaning forward as much as he could.

"Yeah, that was," Gippal said. "That other shoopuff died thirty years ago, right?"

"This is insane," Baralai said. "How can a dead shoopuff just reappear out of nowhere?"

"Maybe it was an unsent," Nooj said.

"But the only way an unsent stays on Spira is if they have some sort of purpose, or maybe a strong attachment to this world."

"What does a shoopuff have a strong attachment to?" Gippal asked.

"When a creature such as a shoopuff dies, it doesn't have to be sent," Baralai said. "At least, that's what I've heard. Only those with a certain intellect can hold their place on Spira."

"So… what is it?" Gippal asked.

"I haven't a clue," Nooj said.

Kurgum was standing in the midst of the talk and he wondered if they forgot he was there in the first place.

"Well… I guess I should go back to my post," Kurgum turned and started towards the doors.

"Hold on a second, Kurgum," Baralai said. Kurgum felt his nerves peak. "Do you have an idea of why this happened? You and the other senders are in charge of making sure the dead go where they belong."

"O-Oh! Um… well…" Kurgum felt beads of sweat on his face.

"This one hasn't been a sender very long," Nooj said. "He just started a couple weeks ago."

"We should probably ask the other senders," Gippal said.

"Right," Baralai said. "Kurgum, can you send for the others?"

There were only six of the senders present at the palace. If certain senders weren't at the palace, they were spread across Spira, taking care of the dead. The small group assembled in front of the council a couple minutes later.

"So, we have a problem," Gippal said, leaning against the front of the table.

"A shoopuff that was presumably dead magically reappeared on the Moonflow," Baralai said. "The pyreflies banded together and brought it back."

"You wouldn't happen to know about the dead reappearing out of nowhere, would you?" Nooj asked.

"No, sir," One replied.

"Haven't heard of such a thing,"

The oldest one in the crowd turned his head away from the council members. He was usually silent, even when the Chancellor approached him.

"During your service, you've never seen an already sent appear back on Spira?" Nooj asked.

They all shook their head. Baralai sighed.

"Somebody has to know something," he said. "The dead can't just reappear without warning."

One of the senders raised their hand. "Chancellor, _we_ may not know why this is happening, but perhaps the former summoners might have an idea."

The three members turned their heads.

"Why would they know any more than you do?" Baralai asked.

"Well, High Summoner Yuna did venture inside Sin," she continued. "She'd probably know more about the dead than any of us would after doing so."

"That's a possibility," Nooj said.

"Maybe we should contact her and tell her about it," Gippal said.

"We need a more direct approach," said Baralai. "I think we should send one of you to speak with her, and take this sphere with you. She should see the evidence of it."

"I would gladly volunteer, sir," the same sender spoke.

"So would I," the other said.

The three looked at each of them, and their eyes rested on Kurgum. He was the youngest of the group and the least experienced. There was a time when he was supposed to send a dead relative to the Farplane, but he choked upon seeing the family members mourn and missed his chance. The Council had to have another sender pick up after him. Yet, something about his fidgeting and uncomfortable gaze gave the impression that he would have been the most loyal. The three men didn't see any harm in sending him to do this simple task of reporting to the high summoner.

"Kurgum," Baralai said. "You'll be the one to talk with Lady Yuna."

"R-really? You want… me to go?"

"Take your assistant with you," Gippal said. "She'll be a great asset if anything happens to you."

"We hope," Nooj said. They shared a snicker.

Back on Besaid, the Aurochs carried the unconscious woman to the former Crusaders tent. Yuna and Tidus followed close behind, whispering to each other about castaways appearing on the shore. Wakka gave orders to retrieve some water, a damp washcloth, and a blanket. The body felt extremely cold. Yuna felt the woman's neck for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there.

"Is she okay?" Tidus said.

"She has a very weak pulse," Yuna said.

Wakka put the damp washcloth on her head. The three sat on the beds surrounding her as Lulu appeared in the doorway of the tent.

"What's wrong?" Lulu asked.

"She's still breathing, but barely," Wakka said.

"She's also very cold," Yuna said.

Lulu walked over to the woman's side. Her skin was pale. Her body was covered in sand. Lulu, whose medical knowledge only went as far as healing spells and potions, sat on her heels and her brow was furrowed. She might had been thinking about what to do. Tidus jumped out of his seat.

"Hey! Lulu, you still have those thunder spell powers right?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Maybe you should give her a spark!" he said. "You know, like one of those sparking machines. Like a defribulator."

"That might work!" Yuna said.

Wakka got up from his spot and moved away from Lulu and the woman.

"Better stand back, guys," Wakka said. "Those thunder spells are intense, ya?"

Lulu took a deep breath as sparks emerged from her fingertips. She had to be careful to strike in the right place. She laid her hands on the woman's chest and sent electricity flowing through her. The woman immediately came back to consciousness and inhaled a large amount of air. She coughed violently and struggled to maintain her breathing. The color appeared back in her skin.

"It's alright," Lulu said to her. The woman stopped struggling and looked at every one of the people surrounding her with large, frightened eyes.

"W-where am I?" she said in a strained voice.

Wakka came closer. "Just take it easy, it's okay."

"Who are you? What am I doing here? Why am I here?" her lip quivered and her body shivered as goosebumps appeared on her arms.

"Don't worry, we're here to help," Yuna said. She knelt by her side. The woman shook the sand from her dreadlocked brown hair, which came down to the middle of her back. She crossed her arms over her middle.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"This is Besaid Island," Yuna said. "You're in a tent right now."

"Are you okay?" Tidus asked her.

"I-I… I don't know," the woman said. She continued to shiver. Yuna said she would be back and left for a second.

"So… what's your name?" Tidus asked her.

"Uh…" she said. "Gaia."

"Where did you come from?" Lulu asked.

"I… I-I don't know," said Gaia.

"You don't remember?" Wakka asked.

Gaia shook her head, tossing more sand from her hair. Yuna returned with a thick and heavy blanket and draped it around the poor woman's shoulders. Gaia clutched the blanket around her. Eventually, her shaking stopped and she seemed to be more comfortable.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Well, I'm Wakka, and this is Lulu,"

"I'm Yuna,"

"Tidus,"

"Oh…" Gaia said. "I hope I can… remember all those names."

The crowd laughed. Lulu sat on the adjacent bed and Wakka sat next to her. Gaia's color returned and her skin showed itself as slightly tan. Her eyes were brown, big and full of life. She couldn't have been older than Wakka, or Lulu, but she looked well developed. Gaia started to feel strange about everyone staring at her.

"How… did you find me?" she asked.

"You were laying on the seashore," Tidus said.

"I was?" Gaia said.

"Yeah, we were really worried," Wakka said.

"Sorry…"

"No, don't be!" Yuna said. "We were glad to help!"

Gaia's stomach growled. She laughed nervously.

"I'll go get something for you," Wakka said.

"No, that's okay!" Gaia said. "I've troubled you enough."

Wakka chuckled. "We're not gonna let you starve!"

He returned with some bread and fruit and a cup of water. Gaia gulped the water and stuffed the piece of bread in her mouth. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she took one bite out of it. She looked at the people and sheepishly wiped her face.

"Thank you," she said. She was taking small bites of the fruit when the rest of the crew gathered outside.

"You should stay with her for a while," Lulu said to Wakka. "See if she can tell you more about herself."

"Why me?"

"I think she'll warm up to you more," Lulu said. "Also, Tidus is preoccupied with Yuna at the moment."

"What do I say to her?"

"Just ask her a few questions about where she was before she ended up here."

"I don't think she'll remember anything, ya?"

"Well, she could probably use the company anyway," Lulu said.

"Alright, I'll try talking to her."

Wakka went into the tent and sat across from Gaia. She finished the last of her fruit and hugged her knees tightly.

"So, Wakka," she said. "What do you do around here?"

"I'm the boss, ya?" Wakka grinned widely.

"Really?"

"Nah, I'm just the warden," he said. "My girl's the real boss around here."

"Are you talking about… what's her name… Lulu?" Gaia asked.

"Yep,"

"Oh," Gaia looked at the entrance to the tent. "She's really pretty."

Wakka blushed. "Yeah, she is."

"And those other guys," Gaia said. "Are they your family members?"

"Well, kinda," Wakka scratched the back of his head. "Yuna's been around here for over ten years, and she's like a sister to me and Lu. Tidus is her boyfriend, and he's kind of like a brother. The rest of the guys are my good buddies. They're also the Besaid Aurochs."

"The… Besaid Aurochs?"

"Yeah," Wakka said. "You never heard of 'em?"

Gaia shook her head.

"They play blitzball," Wakka said.

"What's that?"

Wakka explained the sport to her. He talked about the Aurochs and how they were once at the bottom of the totem poll in Spira's blitzball teams. Now they were a featured team thanks to Tidus. He told her the basic rules of blitzball and how important it is to spend a good amount of time training underwater before doing it as a profession.

"Sounds complicated," Gaia said.

"It's really not," Wakka said. "Once you learn the basics, it get's pretty easy and fun, ya?"

"I'll have to see you guys play it sometime," Gaia said.

Wakka got up and stretched.

"You're welcome to stay in this tent as long as you'd like," he told her.

"Are you sure?"

"'Course!"

"Thanks," Gaia said. "And… thank you all… for saving me." She smiled at him.

"No problem," Wakka said. "If you need anything, just holler, ya?"

Gaia nodded. She stirred in bed and tried to sleep, but it was difficult. She was worried about slipping into unconsciousness again.

She wasn't the only one that was having trouble sleeping that night. When Tidus returned with Yuna, they held hands outside the tent as they said goodnight to each other.

"Uh… I hope we can do that again…" Tidus said, a red hue across his cheeks.

"We will," Yuna said, beaming at him. They shared a long passionate kiss before Tidus went into the tent.

He closed his eyes and his mind went blank. It seemed like only a couple of seconds, but Tidus soon found himself surrounded by pitch blackness. He could hear his voice echoing into the distance.

"Yuna?" he called. There was no answer. He walked a couple of steps but the path seemed never-ending. He couldn't see where he was going nor could he see his own two feet. He grabbed the back of his head where the blitzball slammed into. He heard the ringing sound that was in his ears during the game, but this time the noise was outside of his head. He called out for Yuna again, but there was no answer. Tidus felt panic overcoming him. He started running, hearing the reverberation of his own steps. He was running for what seemed like forever, and he stopped, turning his head every which way.

"Yuna!"

The ringing became louder and louder and Tidus covered his ears. He sank to the ground, tears falling from his face.

"Yuna… Yuna…" he felt alone, and as if he didn't belong. The ringing became so loud, Tidus felt like his ears were going to bleed. Then it stopped all of a sudden. Tidus got up from the ground and the silence around him was eerie. He couldn't even hear himself pant.

"Yuna?" he called again.

An explosion answered him. The entire area around him detonated and Tidus saw nothing but whiteness. He opened his eyes again and sat up in a cold sweat, hyperventilating. Tidus wasn't sure what just happened and as he tried to sleep again, he found himself waking up several more times because he was paranoid about having that nightmare.

It just felt too real.


	3. First Signs

**First** **Signs**

The next morning, the woman with the sandy dreadlocks opened her weary eyes to the sunshine, peering down through the entrance to the tent. She was fatigued and was frustratingly shaking more of the island's essence out of her hair. Her entire body felt heavy and sore, her skin was dry, and she was dehydrated. Her head rushed as soon as she sat up. White stars clouded her eyes for a brief second. She continued standing her body up as she waited for her vision to clear up and stepped outside of the door to look for her rescuers. She felt as though she hadn't thanked them enough for their help.

She spotted the tall fiery-haired man standing on the steps in front of the temple beside his raven-haired girl. He was a bit preoccupied at the moment, but she approached him nontheless.

"Hey, Wakka." she said to him.

"'Morning!"

"What have you got there?"

He turned around to show her the redheaded baby cradled in his arms.

"Aw, he is so precious!" Gaia said. The baby happily cooed and wiggled his small limbs.

"Look at that, he likes you!" Wakka said.

"What's his name?"

"Vidina,"

"He's adorable!" Gaia gazed into the boy's crimson eyes.

"I went to a blitzball game yesterday, and I left them here," Wakka said. "I promised Lu I'd watch him all day today."

"That's right," Lulu said. "No taking him out to the shore."

"Why not?" Wakka asked.

"Look at the weather."

Individual cumulus clouds were gathering at the edge of the horizon. A half hour later, the island would be overcast. The wind was starting to pick up as Lulu mentioned it.

"I trust you'll comply with my rule," Lulu said.

"I got it, ya?" Wakka said.

There were a few villagers gathered around Yuna. Old people, mostly, but even some of the children were tugging at her arms for attention. The young high summoner spoke with kind words to them, telling them to not lose faith in each other. With the new age, the old people felt hopeless, and some were close to falling into depression when the temples collapsed. They didn't know who or what to believe in. They trusted in Yevon for decades, and passed on those beliefs to the next generation. The younger villagers weren't slow to adapt to these changes. They haven't solidified themselves in Yevon anyway. To deal with the shaken elderly, the Council proposed new beliefs to replace the misguidances. Treat your neighbors with respect, be kind, be selfless, and help those in need were a few of them. Each day, Yuna would act as a counsellor for the people, and they would each ask her the same thing: what if you were wrong? Yuna assured them that the suffering from the past was no more, but they weren't convinced. This would be the first time in one thousand years that they went against an old tradition and some of the people were anticipating the punishment for it.

Yuna would pray at the temple every morning for peace. She'd pray for settling the conflicts between the Guado and the rest of Spira, the troubling thoughts of the people to cease, and mostly, her significant other. Tidus didn't know it, but Yuna found herself praying for him more than anything else in the world.

Gaia watched as Yuna went into the temple, the people following her.

"Yuna's kind of popular here, isn't she?" Gaia said.

"Well, yeah, she _is_ the high summoner."

"No way!" Gaia's eyes went wide. " _She's_ the high summoner? _She_ defeated Sin?"

Wakka was confused at her surprise. "Yeah like three years ago. You didn't know that? Everyone in Spira knows who she is."

"I must've been some hermit before ending up in Besaid if I didn't know that."

"Nah, sometimes news doesn't travel everywhere," Wakka said.

"But… if Yuna's the high summoner," Gaia said, leaning her face close to his ear. "Why's she still here?"

"Well… that's kind of a long story,"

"Oh," Gaia said. "You'll have to tell me sometime."

A blitzball smacked against her arm. The Aurochs were practicing in the center of the village that afternoon. One of them came up to Gaia and apologized for the move. Gaia picked up the ball and suddenly had a good feeling. She tossed the ball in the air and juggled it with her knees. The players watched in fascination.

"You play?"

"I… don't think so," Gaia said. "I mean… I don't remember if I did."

"You should join us!"

Gaia tossed the ball upwards and did a backflip. She kicked it mid-air and it launched straight into Keepa's chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Sorry!" Gaia said. "I have no idea where that came from…"

"Woah, you got any more moves you'd like to show us?"

"Well, yeah, if you'd like me to,"

"'Course! Let's blitz!"

Wakka sat on the steps of the temple with the baby on his thigh. He cheered as his team played. Although she didn't seem to remember how she came to Besaid, or where she came from before, Gaia had quite the talent in blitzball. She was competitive, fierce, and showed the people every skill she had in the beloved sport. Every time the ball was passed to her, she easily impressed the crowd with a new trick. Soon, the rest of the villagers were gathered around the team.

* * *

The sound of shouting just outside of the tent was enough to shake Tidus from his slumber. His abdomen was still in pain after the events of the previous evening. He opened his eyes and rubbed the tiredness from them. This had to have been the first time that he slept in. At least he felt as though he'd slept in because normally, he was awake before most of the villagers, and he could hear them cheering directly outside the old Crusaders' tent. Once he had dragged himself out of his grogginess, Tidus walked outside and joined up with Wakka on the steps of the temple.

"Hey, sleepyhead! What took you so long?" Wakka said.

"Ugh… I couldn't sleep," Tidus said. His tiredness soon faded away once he caught sight of the newcomer that had captured the audience's eyes for a good, long while.

"Well, I think you got some competition, ya?" Tidus watched Gaia hit the ball against the other player's head, and she sent it soaring into the air. She did a triple backflip and jumped high. She kicked the ball and it disappeared from the view. When she landed, she posed proudly and grinned.

"Woah, she's a natural!" Wakka said, standing up.

"Yeah…" Tidus hung his head in shame. The last time Wakka was this excited about someone's blitz skills, it was when Tidus first arrived in Besaid. Winning the game came so easily to him, but winning over his teammates was another story. The Aurochs took a while to warm up to him, and it made sense to him, seeing as he was a stranger that Wakka randomly recruited out of the blue. But this stranger, one that that had found laying in the damp sand of the Besaid shores, didn't even need to try. The Aurochs were praising her, and asking her to show them a few moves. As if Tidus didn't already have trouble believing in himself, he felt a blow to his self esteem when he saw some of his own fans talking with Gaia.

Both men perked their heads up at Lulu approaching them.

"There are people here to see Yuna," Lulu told him. "They said they arrived from Bevelle with news from the Spira Council."

"Is that right?" Wakka said.

"We should escort them and make sure this visit is kept professional." she responded.

"Alright," Wakka said, turning over to Tidus. "Hey, can you watch Vidina for a bit?" He put the child in Tidus's arms and followed his wife to the shore.

Tidus sat on the steps in front of the temple, watching the villagers split up to allow a little breathing room for their new star player. Tidus asked himself how she managed to shake off being washed up on the island when he wasn't feeling physically okay to perform his own training. Perhaps he was still the least bit embarrassed about the night before, but he told himself that even the short walk to the temple was exhausting. He might have been worn out from constant practice that took place before the tournament.

"Quite a workout, isn't it?" Gaia said to him.

"Yeah, it is," Tidus said. He wasn't in that much of a talking mood, but he still wanted her to feel welcome.

"You play with the Aurochs, right?" she asked.

"Yep."

She shook her thick hair, getting a little bit of sand on him. "It must be nice. Being apart of a team, that is."

Tidus stared up at the sky, where the clouds were hiding the sun. "Sometimes."

"Why only sometimes?"

"It depends on if your team works together, or not," Tidus held the fussy baby on his lap. "There are times when your people don't get along and that kind of screws up the whole concept of 'working as a team'."

"Oh," Gaia said, her voice lowering. "I wish I could be a part of a team…"

Tidus looked at her as the little boy struggled out of his grasp. Oftentimes, the small child reacted in this way when being held, but it was usually when a complete stranger held him. Not Tidus, who was declared as the child's godfather by his parents. The blonde stood the little boy on his feet and watched as he tried to maintain his balance. Vidina stumbled over to Gaia and fell against her lap. Tidus sighed.

 _Even a one-year-old doesn't care about my presence anymore…_ he thought. He knew he was being a bit dramatic when he thought that.

He spotted Lulu and Wakka coming up to the village with two people behind them. One of them was a skittish-looking boy and the other was an irritable girl. The girl didn't seem too happy about her arrival and Tidus assumed it was due to sailing under the stormy sky. The boy didn't seem as cranky, however. They walked up to the temple and Wakka turned to the two.

"Wait here, I'll go get Yuna."

Tidus had locked eyes with the girl, and she looked at him as if she had seen him before. Well, she most likely did see him before. He was a well-known celebrity now, for more reasons than just blitzball. The girl's attention was turned to the high summoner, who arrived through the heavy doors of the temple. The boy did the Yevon prayer to her, but he was the only one.

"Welcome to Besaid, home of the Yevoners," Yuna said, in her light, happy tone. "I am the priestess Yuna. What brings you here today?"

Sweat trickled down the boy's face. "My lady Yuna! It's… It's a pleasure to meet you… I-I… My name is Kurgum, and… I am an authorized sender sent here from Bevelle. I've been looking forward to meeting you. I've brought something for you from Chancellor Baralai."

"I see," Yuna said. She then turned over to Tidus, who was only standing a few feet away. Turning around to the entrance to the temple, she gestured for the two to follow.

Tidus wondered why Yuna hurried away after meeting his gaze.

* * *

"Sorry," Yuna said, once she was sure they were out of hearing distance. "It's best not to discuss things around the other villagers. I'd rather them not get involved."

"Of course, my lady," Kurgum said.

"Now, tell me about this item."

Kurgum showed Yuna the movie sphere. Once she caught sight of the shoopuff materializing from nothing, she wasn't sure what to think. She'd never seen such a strange event. As far as she'd been concerned, the dead did not ever leave the Farplane once they've been sent. Then again, she reminded herself that this shoopuff might not have met its fate at the time of its death. It was a wonder how this unsent shoopuff had not transformed by now. Shoopuffs were large, gentle creatures. Turning into a fiend may have not been in its nature. She listened as Kurgum explained that the male shoopuff was the last of the species, but one day, another had appeared beside it.

"It can't be real," she said, thinking over and over about the shoopuff popping into existence. "The sphere… someone must've fabricated it."

"With all due respect, Miss Yuna," the girl said. "The shoopuff reappearing on the Moonflow was witnessed by several onlookers, and they all claimed that it was the shoopuff from thirty years ago. They were the ones that recorded the event. This sphere can't be anything but real."

Yuna turned her back towards them. "You… can't be absolutely sure. The dead cannot leave the Farplane. This has been a fact for over one thousand years."

"Just because you've never heard of it, or seen it, doesn't mean it couldn't ever happen." The girl responded.

"Even so… the dead cannot just come back from out of nowhere to the land of the living."

"That's what we wanted to ask about, my lady," Kurgum said. "Chancellor Baralai, Nooj, and Gippal, they all met with the senders and they thought that you might know something more advanced about the dead than we do."

Yuna abruptly turned around. "Why would they assume that I knew anything about this?"

"W-well um…" Kurgum stuttered.

"You've been inside Sin, right?"

"Yes?"

"You've sent Seymour Guado inside Sin," the girl said. "You've seen more states of the dead than anyone in Spira. When you were journeying, you found out that Yu Yevon was summoning the fayth and Sin itself. Yu Yevon was a summoner once. Don't you think maybe summoners are still capable of such a thing?"

"Summoning… yes, but bringing the dead back…" Yuna started to feel uncomfortable.

"It's not entirely impossible," the girl said.

"Yes, but…"

"My lady," Kurgum said. "Chancellor Baralai requests that you'd come join the Council for a meeting about this. They warned us that it could become a major problem if things are coming back from the Farplane and reappearing from thin air."

"I'm… I'm sorry, but… I can't go," Yuna said.

"What? Why not?" the girl said.

"These people need me," Yuna replied. "Without me being here, they will lose hope again. I'm responsible for them. I'm sorry, but please be on your way."

"But what about the rest of Spira?"

"It's okay, we can just go now…" Kurgum said glumly.

"We traveled all the way here from Bevelle hoping to get answers to this problem, but now we're going back to where we started. With nothing."

"Hey," Wakka intervened, stepping up closer to them. "I don't know what Baralai wants from Yuna, but she's already saved the whole world once. Now it's the Council's turn to take care of their own problems. Yuna's done her part."

"Yuna shouldn't have to get involved with the Council's issues," Lulu said.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, but Kurgum signaled to hold her tongue with his hand. Yuna was starting to feel guilty. The pair were just doing their job.

"I see," Kurgum said. "Sorry to bother you, Lady Yuna. We'll leave now."

In the time it took them to take a couple steps outside the temple, a thought popped into Yuna's mind. It was true that she'd saved Spira once from Sin, but she didn't want to receive any special treatment, including being spared from Spira's politics, just because she'd done so. Even if she didn't want to discuss the idea of the dead being brought back from the Farplane, she could at least help the Council by eliminating some of these problems before they become public knowledge. The last thing she wanted was the entire world finding out about things being brought back to life, and trying it out.

"Wait!" She came running towards the two. "I've decided that I'll go with you."

"Really?" Kurgum said. "That's great! I-I mean… what changed your mind?"

"It's just that I should think about everyone in Spira," she replied. "Not just myself."

"Should we leave now?"

"No, not yet," Yuna said. "I… I would like to leave before dawn tomorrow."

"Woah, hold up, Yuna," Wakka said. "Are you sure you want to deal with Spira's problems? The Council should really take care of this since they are the ones in charge…"

"This isn't their doing," Yuna said. "It's my job to take care of Spira, and I should do that."

"Yeah, but…"

"It's okay, Wakka," Yuna said. "It's something I knew I had to do from the very beginning."

"Okay…"

Lulu didn't protest. She'd said before that Yuna was capable of making her own decisions.

"Thank you, my lady," Kurgum said. "I-I… look forward to seeing you again in Bevelle."

Yuna turned to the girl. "I don't believe I caught your name."

"Chuami."

Yuna bowed her head to both of them as they left for their boat. Tidus appeared beside her.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"Oh… nothing important," Yuna said. "Just business."

* * *

 _I should've realized then that Yuna would be saying "just business" every time I asked._

Later that night, Tidus was staring at the ceiling of the tent. He couldn't sleep, and he spent the evening thinking about what was going on in Yuna's mind. He felt cold, lonely, and without Yuna's warmth to please him. He couldn't stop thinking about the night they spent together, baring each other's bodies. Just when he was about to close his eyes that night, he heard the sound of footsteps. Yuna appeared beside his bed.

"Yuna…?"

She pressed a finger to her lips. She took his hand, pulling him on his feet. She took him out of the tent and brought him to the shore.

"So… those guys," Tidus said. "They were here from Bevelle, right?" Tidus had his arm around Yuna as they sat on the sand together.

"Yes."

"I'm guessing the Council's probably in crisis mode again."

Yuna was staring out towards the darkened sea. The stars that decorated the night sky reflected off the clear surface of the ocean. It was one of the things they both liked about the small islands. The night sky wasn't plagued with light pollution like it was in the bigger cities.

"I don't even want to think about it," Yuna said.

"They asked you to go to Bevelle with them?"

Yuna looked at him.

"I… talked to Wakka about it," Tidus said. "I was a little worried."

"Oh," Yuna wished he didn't.

"So, are you going?"

"I have to," Yuna said. "They need my help again."

Tidus stood up and walked closer to the edge where the waves met the sand.

"Okay, so when do we leave?"

"What?"

"I said," he turned to face her. when do we leave?"

"Oh," Yuna fiddled with her hands. "Well… the thing is…"

"What's wrong? We are going, aren't we?"

"They asked _me_ to go."

"Oh…" He hung his head.

"Sorry, but… this is a matter of politics, and I don't want you to have to deal with it. I don't even want to deal with it myself, but you know how it is."

Tidus figured out why she wanted to bring him out here in the first place.

"I… guess I understand," he said to her. "We should do something like that together again, though."

"Like what?"

"Go on another adventure."

"We will, someday."

Tidus started taking his shoes off. He walked closer to the water.

"Hey, Yuna, watch this." His feet made contact with the ocean, and Yuna saw the area surrounding his feet light up with bioluminescent creatures. Yuna crawled to where he was standing.

"Amazing!" Yuna said. "What are they?"

"No idea, but they look cool, don't they?"

Yuna took off her shoes and joined him. Her mouth was wide open in surprise as the creatures responded to her touch.

"I don't remember them being here before," Yuna said.

"Maybe they were able to come back," Tidus told her.

"You've seen them here already?"

"Only when I was practicing late into the night."

"I wish I'd been there to see them with you."

He looked into her eyes. "You are here, Yuna."

She smiled at him. He removed his shirt and tossed it to the side. He waded further into the sea.

"Where are you going?"

"For a swim."

"But… I'm not a good swimmer yet…"

"Then we can just stand right here." The water was up to his waist. He turned to look at the moon, which had a faint halo around it.

She removed all particles of clothing and left them on the shore. She walked right behind him, where the cold water was forming goosebumps on her skin, which she mistook for her own anxiousness.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tidus said. Yuna didn't respond to him. Instead, he felt her arms wrap around his waist and his eyes opened wide as he felt her bare chest against his skin. Even though all the things that happened around him were leaving him with uncertainty, Tidus always kept one thing in mind: the times he spent with Yuna were never dull.


	4. A Time of Crises

**A Time of Crises**

When Yuna arrived in Bevelle, a cloud of mixed feelings overcame her. This was her birthplace. She remembered walking through the Palace of St. Bevelle with her father as he gave her a history lesson about the buildings. He had walked the crowded and vibrantly-colored streets with her, relishing in the beauty of its architecture and its colorful inhabitants. However, a much less cheery memory was the fact that this was also the place where she was being forced to marry the infamous Seymour Guado. Things may had settled between the rest of Spira and the Guado, but she could still relive the utter shock and fear she had that he had done what he did. That she had been kidnapped, her kin had burned before her eyes, and the feeling of his cold, dead lips on hers was even worse. Shaking out the bad memories, she looked ahead as was taken to the council by the two visitors from the other day. She could practically sense the nervousness in Kurgum as he came face-to-face with her a second time.

Of course, the usual crowd gathered to see the high summoner. They waved their hands at her, and called her name. She only nodded to some of them, saying she had important things to do at the palace.

"Hello, Lady Yuna," Baralai said. "Glad you could join us this afternoon."

"Likewise," Yuna said.

"As you can already tell, we've been discussing the event of this shoopuff reappearing out of nowhere, but that isn't all."

"We've heard other people talking about similar things." Nooj said.

"What kind of things?" Yuna asked.

"Take a look,"

Nooj showed Yuna the view from the top of the palace where the crowd was clustered together. At first, Yuna didn't detect anything odd about the massive amount of people, but she caught something as she continued gazing at them. Some of the people were locked in a tight embrace with one another, and others were talking away. The thing that baffled Yuna was that some of these people were fading in and out of existence. And the living people didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"They're… not really alive, are they?" Yuna asked.

"No, they're not," Nooj said. "Shortly after we sent those two to talk with you, we've gotten a large amount of reports about the dead reuniting with their relatives. None of these reports came from those relatives, but from the other people that were concerned about it."

"Where did they come from?"

"We're not sure," Baralai told her. "But we think that they came from the Moonflow."

"I… see."

"It's not known if summoners, or regular people have been able to do this before," he continued. "But after we've discussed it for some time, we think that these people have been brought back by an ability we call 'beckoning'."

Yuna's fist tightened against her chest. The word sent nerves through her. The experiences she'd had when Tidus arrived back on Besaid flew through her mind. The shipwreck, the argument, the island from one thousand years ago.

 _The explosion…_ she thought.

"Lady Yuna?" Baralai said. "Are you alright?"

"I… I'm sorry, I don't recall that term from when I first became a summoner."

"We'd done some research on the history of summoners," Baralai continued. "Beckoning has been long forgotten, and maybe even forbidden, but somehow, someone is causing these chain of events in this present day."

"Who do you think is causing them?"

"We're not sure," said Nooj. "It could be any of the former summoners. Possibly even ones from many years before. Maybe one of them is a sender standing in this room."

Yuna looked at the senders that were surrounding the council.

"What should we do about this then?"

"Well, as far as we're concerned, the beckoned that we've seen aren't a potential threat, so there's no cause for alarm." Baralai said. "However, if more than one summoner is beckoning, it could become a problem later on. We'd like to know if you'd be inclined to gather more information for us."

"Where could I find such information?" Yuna asked.

"You could start at the Moonflow," Nooj told her. "That's where it began."

"Would you like me to start as soon as possible?"

"Only if you have any interest in doing so."

Yuna nodded, relieved. On her way out, she noticed one of the senders was giving her a stern look. It was the older sender, who had slightly gray hair and a beard. Yuna rushed with the other two out the entrance faster.

The boat that came to Bevelle was now set for Djose shore, where they would inspect the Moonflow. Yuna was pondering what she'd just discussed with the Council. She wondered how exactly the large crowd of the dead managed to come back when Yuna was the only one that'd done this for one person. She remembered hearing that only summoners were capable of bringing someone back, but after today, she started to believe that everyone who shared strong feelings with another could revive them. It wasn't a comforting thought. Nooj and Baralai told her that none of the beckoned dead posed a threat, but Yuna could only imagine what angered people such as the Guado could do with that ability.

On Djose shore, Yuna walked with Kurgum and Chuami to the Moonflow. Kurgum cleared his throat.

"Um… Lady Yuna?" Kurgum said.

"Hm?"

"You know, I'd probably be a summoner, if we still relied on summoners during this time. Instead of just a regular sender."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah… and I was wondering if I could ask you what exactly it meant… you know, to be a summoner."

"Well, you must be willing to sacrifice your freedom, and your wishes for the good of Spira. That's where I first started. You should be everyone's strength, and their hope."

"Oh…"

"Never shed a tear for your own suffering. Especially not when everyone around you is possibly suffering more than you."

"I see… but how do you know if people are suffering more than you?"

"When I was on my pilgrimage, I saw many tragic things happen," Yuna said. "I saw people lose their homes, people they loved, and faith that they would ever have a future with Sin terrorizing them. I know I've lost people too, but seeing others losing everything they had… I could just see that they needed someone to be there to lift their spirits."

"So, even though you're not a summoner anymore, you're still doing all of that? Today?"

"It's almost as if I never stopped,"

"How… does it make you feel?"

Yuna took a deep breath in. "There are times when I… wish I could feel what I want to, without worrying everyone else. Other times, it brings joy to my heart to know that I've helped someone with their doubts. I'm glad that I helped them feel… stronger, and happier."

Kurgum sighed. "I know how you feel…"

Yuna gazed at him. She saw him turn from being extremely nervous to completely solemn. Perhaps being a sender was just as hard emotional work as being a summoner was. Things might not have changed that much at all since then, Yuna thought.

Once they've reached the Moonflow, they were amazed at the illusionary people that were present. It's as if the dead found out that the shoopuff escaped the Farplane and came all at once to join it on Spira. Yuna saw that some of the living people came to visit with the illusions. One of them was a father and daughter, talking with a woman Yuna suspected was the mother. Yuna's heart was breaking for the little girl. She was asking her mother to come home with them. However, she was only an illusion, and she was stuck on the edge of the Moonflow, along with the rest of the illusions.

That's what Yuna originally thought. Her head perked up when she noticed that she could hear the illusion speaking to the child, loud and clear. Yuna once thought that beckoned illusions could only be heard by the beckoner, but not anyone else. These weren't only illusions. They were revived dead. Yuna started to feel slightly disturbed at the thought.

"This… this is weird," Chuami said. "I thought we couldn't hear them speak."

"We couldn't," Yuna told her.

"But… why can we hear them now?"

"They must not be illusions."

"But… if they're not illusions," Kurgum said. "How can they be brought back? If… if only summoners can beckon… unless there are more summoners than we thought?"

"I don't know," Yuna said.

"What should we do?" Kurgum asked. "Should I send them before they…?"

"No," Yuna watched as the illusions joined with their family.

"But… Lady Yuna…"

"Leave them be," Yuna said.

"Why?" Chuami said.

"We don't have any right interfering with their reunion," Yuna said. "Besides, there's no harm in letting them be together."

Yuna turned from the sight and started back towards Djose shore. Chuami was amazed at how willing she was to just let them go. If Kurgum failed to send the dead, he'd lose his status as quick as a blink. Chuami guessed things were different if you were the high summoner.

The sound of screaming was heard from the shore. Yuna and the others ran to see what happened. They were bombarded by a crowd of people running from the situation. Yuna tried not to get trampled. The scene waiting for them was horrific.

It was a fiend, but nothing Yuna had ever seen on her journey, or even in her entire lifetime. This fiend had a long, spiked tail, similar to the Sinspawn she and her crew fought. The difference was the fact that the fiend had a humanlike head, and four arms with human hands attached to them. The surface of the fiend looked similar to the layer of muscle underneath human skin. It was fleshy-looking, pulsing with large veins, and with two human legs forced out of it. It almost looked like the creature was inside out. Yuna was petrified. She didn't know where to go. She didn't know what to do. She just stood there, witnessing the fiend attacking the innocent humans.

"Lady Yuna! Watch out!" Kurgum yelled. Yuna snapped out of it in time to watch the fiend rapidly approach her. The fiend grabbed her neck with its human hand and held her high in the air. Yuna kicked and tried to pry out of the fiend's grasp. What happened next was even more mind-boggling. The fiend turned its attention away from Yuna to the pyreflies that appeared in front of it. Another creature appeared from the pyreflies and challenged the fiend holding Yuna. The abomination roared as it dropped Yuna to the ground. She backed away from the monsters fighting each other, gasping for air. Kurgum ran to her side and helped her stand.

"Are you okay?!" he asked. Yuna couldn't speak. They watched as the two gigantic creatures fought. The awful humanoid enemy was forced into the ocean. It stood on its four hands and charged the regular fiend, but the strength of both fiends were mutual. They locked each other in a stalemate as they both tried to force the other to the ground. Eventually, the non-humanlike fiend lifted the other off the shore and threw it on the ground with enough power that it managed to kill it. As the horrific fiend disappeared from view, the regular creature did the same departure. Yuna turned her head towards the area behind where the fiends were fighting. She only managed to catch a glimpse of a figure wearing a black hood scurrying away from the shore.

* * *

When Yuna returned to Besaid, Tidus and the others were fussing about the marks around her neck.

"What happened?!" Tidus asked.

"I… It was a huge fiend!" Yuna said. "I… I've never seen anything like it! It was terrible! It… it almost looked…"

"What?"

"It… almost looked human!"

They all shared looks with each other. From the way she was shivering with fear, and the tone in her voice, they believed her, and the thought of it gave them just as awful of a feeling. Tidus held her in his arms as she recollected the attack.

"A human fiend… I never heard of that…" Wakka said.

"It's skin… it was so… it looked like muscle…" Yuna said. "It had veins… and… when it died, it was bleeding human blood…"

Tidus was feeling a bit nauseous at the thought.

"But… how?" Lulu asked.

"I don't know… We went to the Moonflow, and we saw these…"

Yuna hesitated.

"You saw what, Yuna?" Tidus asked.

"Well…"

She didn't answer the question. After a while, Lulu took Yuna to her tent, where she tended to her wounds.

Tidus was completely puzzled. Why couldn't he have known about what they were discussing?

"Hey, Wakka," Tidus said. "Has Yuna talked to you about… her job?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's like… every time I ask her about what she does each day she keeps telling me it's not important. I'm starting to think she's hiding something from me."

"'Course she doesn't talk about it," Wakka said. "Those people she talks to are telling her personal stuff that none of us are supposed to know, ya? She can't go running her mouth about them. That's going against their trust."

"Oh, right," Tidus said. "But what about what she found at the Moonflow? Why couldn't she talk to me about that?"

"Maybe that stuff's not for us to know, either."

"Are you sure she didn't say anything to you?"

"Nothing she didn't already tell you. You two are joined at the hip, right?"

"I thought so too, but…"

Wakka wanted to ask, but kept in mind what he just said about keeping out of personal problems. He scratched the back of his head.

"If it really wasn't anything important, then you got nothing to worry about, ya? If it was something you needed to know, she'd tell you."

Tidus got the feeling that Wakka was just as clueless about Yuna's issues as he was. When Yuna and Lulu emerged from the tent again, they sat around the roaring bonfire.

"I don't know what to do," Yuna said. "I went to Bevelle expecting a simple talk, and then… this happened."

"What do they want you to do?" Wakka asked.

"They wanted me to investigate more. Around Spira."

"What are you investigating?" Tidus asked.

There was silence for a brief second.

"When… those two came here from Bevelle, they said the Council found something out in the Moonflow. I went to talk with them about it."

"And what was that thing?"

"A shoopuff."

"A shoopuff?" Tidus thought for a moment. "I haven't seen one of those in a couple years. Remember when we rode it that one time?"

"Yeah, that was interesting," Wakka kept his eyes on Tidus, in case he were to ask any more questions.

"But what about a shoopuff was interesting enough that you had to go all the way to Bevelle?"

"There were two shoopuffs."

"What's odd about that?"

Lulu sighed, but she remembered how little Tidus knew about Spira the first time they met him.

"There didn't used to be two shoopuffs. One of them… died many years ago."

"Maybe there were always two, and you just didn't know it."

"Yes. It does seem like the most viable option."

Everyone was silent for a bit. Gaia decided it was her turn to talk.

"A humanlike fiend," she began. "I don't remember ever seeing such a thing."

"Nobody's ever seen such awful creatures," Yuna said.

"I… vaguely remember this, but… I think at some point, I used to face fiends on a daily basis. In fact, I think I used to…"

Gaia's eyes stared straight up into the sky as she reminisced about her past experiences. A possible flashback state she was in. When she eventually came to, she winced in pain and rubbed her forehead.

"Are you alright?" Yuna asked her.

"I'm fine… I just… I think I just had a thought about something... what was I saying?"

"You were talking about killing those things, ya?" Wakka said.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I used to see them a lot. I was an archer once, and I fought them for a living at some point."

"Did they attack your home?"

"Probably. They attacked everything everywhere back then. I'm surprised there aren't fiends attacking us right now."

"I hope those… particular fiends don't come here." Yuna said.

"Well, if they do, we'll be ready." Tidus told her.

* * *

Yuna received several messages from the CommSphere the next day. One talking about banshees attacking the visitors in Macalania, another saying that some of the fallen Ronso had returned unscratched, and the situation Yuna found herself in at Djose shore wasn't the last. The Council told Yuna that the banshees in Macalania were the main priority because it was the closest place to Bevelle. When Yuna spoke on the CommSphere with the council, she asked if they wanted her to either look for more information on who is causing the beckoning, or if they wanted her to take care of the vicious fiends. They told her the people's safety was their main priority, and that they've sent some of their own council members to investigate after hearing about the attack on Djose shore. Yuna wondered why they asked her and her party to fight when the council members had their own forces to deploy.

Yuna met up with the others to discuss their mission.

"I know we've already fought these monstrosities before," Yuna began. "But the council asks that we fight against them again. Do you all wish to join me?"

"I'll do it!" Tidus said.

"Yeah, me too!" said Wakka.

"I… can't do it," Lulu said.

"Right, you're the mayor, after all, and you have to take care of the baby." Yuna said.

"I can fight them, Yuna," Wakka said. "I'll take Lu's place."

Lulu turned her head towards Wakka.

"You're going to fight them?"

"Yeah, I'll be Yuna's guard again."

Lulu looked troubled when he said he was going to follow Yuna and Tidus to fight the horrible creatures. She didn't say much and just walked back to her tent. Wakka silently questioned it when she did.

"I guess the council can always send help if we need it, but I doubt it's anything the three of us can't handle." Yuna said.

"Yeah, how bad can these things be, really?" Tidus said.

"Then it's settled," Yuna smiled. "I'll give the council a call and tell them we'll be leaving tomorrow morning for Macalania."

Yuna walked back to her room in the temple. Gaia was trying had to make it look as though she wasn't listening into the conversation, but Tidus knew she was there the whole time. She spotted him looking at her and walked over.

"So… you guys are going with Yuna to fight those creepy things?"

"Yup." They both said.

"How come you guys are going? Doesn't the council have guards they can send her?"

"We were Yuna's guardians when she was going on her pilgrimage." Tidus explained.

"Really?! So you guys are legendary guardians?"

"Yup, we helped her fight Sin." Wakka said.

"Wow, you guys are way cooler than I thought!"

"Thanks?"

"I mean… never mind that. But aren't you worried about getting outnumbered? I mean, there's only three of you."

"If we run into trouble, we can call for backup, ya?"

"Are you sure there's no one else you'd want to take with you?"

Tidus looked at her. "Do you have a person in mind?"

"Maybe. You never know, there might be someone wanting to, who's anxious to travel through Spira since she never got to."

"Is it you?" Wakka asked.

"Well, now that you mention it," Gaia said. "I'd be happy to come on this trip too."

"We're fighting against things way bigger and taller than Wakka. You sure you want to risk your head just for the sake of adventure?"

"I've been thinking, and I really don't know anyone here in Besaid except you guys. I've been hanging out with Lulu and I got a feeling she thinks I'm just annoying. She told me I reminded her of Wakka except at least Wakka goes out every now and then. How can I go anywhere if there's nowhere to go?"

"You know how to fight?" Wakka asked.

"I'm good enough at fighting fiends, I guess."

"We'll talk to Yuna about it and see what she says. I don't think she'll say no, but we gotta make sure it's alright, ya?"

"Let me know how it goes." Gaia said.

* * *

Wakka was thinking about how Lulu looked after he said he was going to go fight fiends. He's known her to have disapproving looks like that before, but they usually weren't about him putting his life at risk. Wakka searched through his belongings for a small chest he'd gotten for his prized possession.

Lulu appeared behind him. "What are you looking for?"

"Just a little something to help us on our mission, ya?"

She sighed heavily. "You're really going…"

"Well yeah, I mean… Yuna needs us to help her out, and you can't go."

She walked over and sat on the bed with Vidina on her lap. "You haven't fought fiends that strong in three years. Don't you think it's a bit rash to start out at Macalania? And Mt. Gagazet?"

"Relax! We survived those things before, we can do it again. Especially since we beat Sin, ya? Plus, once I find this thing, it'll be easy going for all of us."

"Oh, really? And what thing is that?"

Wakka pulled out the mahogany chest. "My secret ultimate weapon."

He unlatched and opened the chest to bring out the spiked blitzball decorated with a star in the middle, and perfectly fit for slicing.

"You're not going to use that against those things are you?" Lulu said.

"That's exactly what I'm planning to do."

He put the blitzball back in the chest and put the chest where he could remember it the next morning.

"What about Vidina?"

He turned to her. "What about him?"

"Well somebody has to be there for him."

"I'm not going to be gone forever. Also, I thought you didn't trust me to take care of him. You're always telling me not to do this and that whenever I do things with him, ya?"

"Well, yeah but…" Lulu broke eye contact with him. She looked at the ground.

"What's wrong, Lu?"

"Nothing, it's just… can you please use something else other than a stupid blitzball to defend yourself?"

Wakka came closer to her. "Lu, are you… scared?"

"No! I mean… no, I'm not."

Wakka sat on his knees in front of her. He ruffled his son's hair and held his tiny hand.

"Hey, don't worry about me, Lu. I promise I'm coming back for you two. I'd never leave you guys. Ever."

"Wakka…"

Wakka traced the lines of her jaw and lifted her head to look him in the eyes. He smiled at her and felt good knowing how worried she was about him putting himself in danger.

"It'll be alright, Lu. Trust me." He pressed his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him as if she were kissing him for the last time.


	5. An Adventure Begins

**An Adventure Begins**

A fortnight's past and the journey began. There was a variety of expressions present as the crew waited at the docks for their ship. Tidus and his nerves with a hint of joy that he now had the opportunity to travel, and Yuna, who was uneasy and she wasn't the only one. Lulu was biting her lip and shaking a bit in anxiousness as she watched her husband talk to his infant son. Wakka was telling Vidina that he would be away for a while, but not for long, and he would be back before the little boy could learn to speak. And then there was Gaia, who was trembling as well, but it was due to her own excitement.

"I've never been to Macalania before," Gaia said.

"Really? Never?" Tidus asked.

"Nope."

"Well I guess today's your lucky day."

"I hope we can stop by the temple. I've prayed for our safe travel this morning already, but when we visit Macalania, I want to pray that we can have the strength to defeat those things."

Tidus exchanged a look with Yuna.

Their ship arrived, but not the one that any of them were expecting. It was an airship with an unfamiliar design. It was dark, with big thrusters at the sides. Inscribed on it was its name in the Al Bhed language. Tidus squinted his eyes. _Kelvin_ , he read. The crew could see a figure waving down at them in front of the giant window, though it was hard to make out who it was. The door opened and the person jumped down from the ship to the water, running towards them. Tidus laughed. He should've known.

"Yunie!" Rikku threw her arms around Yuna and almost knocked her over.

"Rikku! It's so good to see you!" she responded.

"How long has it been? A year?" Rikku told her, and she squeezed Yuna tightly and lifted her up.

"Hey, Rikku! Cool ship!" Tidus said.

Rikku turned her head towards him. "I know, right?!"

She turned to Wakka.

"What's up, tubby?"

"Who you callin' tubby? I lost weight, ya?" Rikku poked him directly in the stomach.

"I stand corrected. How's our little man doing?" The baby smiled and cooed at her.

"He's walking now. Saying a few words here and there, ya?"

"Still as cute as ever! And Miss Mayor."

"Always a pleasure to see you." Lulu grinned at the energetic girl.

Rikku noticed the woman with the dreadlocks standing next to Tidus. Her eyes examined the Al Bhed girl up and down.

Rikku didn't hesitate to walk up to her. "I don't think we've met! I'm Rikku!"

She held out her hand. Gaia looked at her square in the eye and shook her hand.

"Hi…"

"You got a name?"

"Gaia."

"Well, Gaia, it's nice of you to be able to join us!"

"Yeah…" She didn't seem convinced about that fact.

"Now, let's get this show on the road!" Rikku held her fist in the air.

Before they all boarded the ship, Wakka hung back to say goodbye to his family.

"You take care of your mom, you hear?" He held Vidina in the air. "You're the man of the house for a while, ya?"

The baby spoke gibberish to him.

"You be good, buddy." He hugged him and gave him a kiss on his head before giving him to Lulu.

"You better come back," Lulu said.

"Hey, I told you I got this! You worry about yourself and Vidina. Okay?"

Lulu nodded.

He hugged her and gave her a peck on the lips. Lulu blushed deeply.

"This isn't goodbye, ya? It's just 'see you later'."

"Alright, but if there's any trouble…"

"I know what to do." He smiled at her and they all headed for the ship.

* * *

The fuselage of the aircraft was enormous. There was enough room for several armies to fit. The inside of the ship was very familiar to the crew, as it was a similar design to the previous, purple-coated airship they'd ridden. Gaia was trailing behind, taking in the large vehicle with keen eyes. Tidus had the impression that she'd never ridden, or perhaps had never seen an airship before, from the way she was feeling everything and the discomfort in her look. The idea of traveling thousands of feet in the air seemed dangerous to most people. But not for the blonde boy. If anything, he was elated to be thirty-thousand feet in the air any chance he got. He usually traveled by air whenever he left Besaid. Wakka and Tidus were observing and commenting on the control panels on either side of the flight deck. The whole crew shifted as the ship took off.

"Hey, Yuna! Long time no see!" Gippal's voice could be heard from across the flight deck.

"I see you two are spending more time together." Yuna said, referring to Gippal and Rikku

"Dad thought working with them was a good idea for business." Rikku said. "The Machine Faction lets us expand our ideas and get paid, he said. After he lost it in Zanarkand."

"Zanarkand?" Tidus asked.

"My dad tried to pull off a stunt over there," Rikku said. "We told him 'Zanarkand's no place for tourism!' He didn't take it too well, but we sure told him off!"

"Speaking of which," Wakka looked around. "Where's the captain?"

"You're looking at her." Rikku was smiling wide with her hands on her hips.

"You're the captain?!" Yuna said.

"Eh! Let the girl dream on!" a rough voice called. Cid and Brother emerged from the cabin to address their passengers. Every time Cid showed up, Tidus knew he needed to straighten his posture and follow the man's orders. His voice was enough to shake a fiend. However, when he arrived, he actually looked like he was happy to see them. Well, they were family, after all. Brother was definitely more than happy to see Yuna.

"Yuna! I missed you so much!" Brother ran and hugged Yuna, and she didn't return the action. She just stood there awkwardly until Rikku pushed Brother away and shoved him to the ground.

"Quit being creepy! Give poor Yunie some space!" Brother apologized in his native tongue and gave a glare to Tidus.

Cid looked at Tidus. "Nice to see you're still hanging around."

The blonde boy laughed nervously. "Yeah…"

Gippal stretched his arms and walked over to the crew. Tidus examined his eyepatch, which was usually different whenever they met up with him. "Baralai told us you needed a ride to Macalania, so we figured we'd take you there."

"Yeah!" Rikku said, plopping down on one of the spinning airship's been having mechanical troubles, but we got it back up and running. At least for this trip." Gippal gave her chair a spin.

"You mean this ship could break down any second?!" Tidus said. Now he was actually starting to feel a bit nervous about flying.

"Nah, it should be fine. But we got emergency parachutes if we need them."

Tidus turned his head to his red-haired friend, who was also uneasy about flying at unnatural heights into the sky. His face was pale and he was sweating. Tidus felt his own stomach

Rikku walked up to Gippal. "Vimm cbaat yrayt!"

"Hey! I'm the one that gives orders around here!" Cid said.

"Pops, you're just here to make sure we don't screw up!"

"I'm also keeping an eye on you two." A red shade covered Rikku's face and she moved away from Gippal's side.

"Is there something you wanna share with the crowd?" Wakka said.

"N-no! He's just kidding. I'm working with this one to help the Machine Faction with their projects. I got some pretty good ideas."

"Yeah, right." Gippal chuckled.

"Quiet, you dork!"

Rikku walked towards the area where the overhead compartments were. She opened one of them and pulled out a bandolier.

"For example, this thing!" She showed it to the others.

"What are those?" Wakka asked.

"Grenades."

Wakka took a step back. Rikku laughed at him.

"They'll only go off if you pull this pin. You're gonna need 'em when you face those things."

She tossed the largest one to Wakka.

"You didn't invent those!" Cid said.

"No, but who thought of the brilliant idea to bring them with us?"

She gave one to Tidus.

"Woah, cool!"

"Now only use them when absolutely necessary! There's not enough to go around, you know."

She walked over to Gaia, who looked as though she was trying to make herself invisible behind Wakka.

"No thank you. I'm not using that." Gaia said when Rikku tried handing her one. The tone of Gaia's voice almost sounded like she was offended. Rikku looked at the others, who were just as perplexed as she was. Gaia separated herself from the group as she traveled down the steps.

"What's with her?" Tidus said.

"No idea," Wakka said. "Maybe she's just nervous about carrying bombs around on her body, ya?"

"Oh… well two out of four of you guys isn't bad."

The airship wasn't traveling fast due to the recent repairs. Rikku and Gippal were discussing the next task they'd have to do with the Machine Faction. They talked about what inventions they'll make and where they'd go to present them. Wakka and Tidus listened as they watched clouds pass underneath the aircraft. Tidus turned around and saw that Yuna wasn't on the flight deck. He got up and walked down the steps to the cabin. He called for her, but the only person he saw was Gaia. She was standing against the window, gazing at the floor of the airship.

"Hey, did Yuna come by here?" Tidus asked her.

"I think so…" Gaia said. "I saw her head up though."

"Like on top of the ship?"

"I don't know," Gaia said. "Maybe."

Tidus went up to find her.

He took the time to admire her when he found her atop of the ship. Her hair was blowing in the breeze and her skirt was swaying in the wind. It was such a beautiful day, typical when living in the Eternal Calm. Tidus had spent the past year watching the clouds pass by with her, but the thought made him feel a bit disappointed. He hadn't actually been able to spend time alone with her like this, and was glad he was able to do so this time. He wondered if she came up here because she knew he would follow her and they'd be able to engage in conversation together.

"Awesome view, isn't it?" Yuna turned to her lover.

"Oh! Uh… yes, it is."

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

Tidus stood next to her, taking in the scenery. The sun was bright and almost blinded them as it reflected against the white clouds.

"It's been three years…" Yuna said.

"Yeah."

"We're going on another adventure."

"Just like we wanted."

"I'm a little worried, and I'm excited at the same time. I haven't journeyed through Spira in a year. I wonder how progressive it's gotten."

"Yeah."

"You know, we tried to help the Ronso make peace with the Guado during our travel. I hope the Guado can forgive those that forced them out of their home. A lot of Guado families are spread throughout Spira because they were afraid to come back to Guadosalam. Many of them hid in the Macalania woods."

"They deserved it, right?"

"Not all of them."

"The Guado got what was coming to them after they attacked Rikku's Home and helped Seymour."

"I just didn't think it was fair to punish those that had nothing to do with Maester Seymour."

"Yuna, they weren't just doing that, were they? They went after the Al Bhed, and Rikku lost a lot of her family. Who knows what other trouble they could've been causing behind our backs."

Yuna sighed. "I just know that innocent people were held accountable."

"That isn't your fault. It's not like you exiled them yourself."

"I feel like other people have told me that before, but I'm still not convinced."

"What?"

"That it's not my fault the temples fell, it's not my fault the Guado were exiled by the Ronso, it's not my fault thousands of people lost hope."

"It's not! Come on, Yuna, you saved the whole world! You really gotta give yourself some credit."

Yuna was silent for a minute. "You're right." She could tell he was tired of hearing her blame herself for everything.

"Macalania dead ahead!" Rikku said on the intercom. Tidus held Yuna's hand as they headed back inside the ship.

When the fayth disappeared, the Macalania Woods began to lose its life. Tidus felt a bit sad when he saw the woods had faded away during the time of his absence. He and Yuna shared a passionate moment when he and the others rescued her from Seymour's clutches and the treacherous maesters. It was something he wanted to last forever.

They each got off the ship and Rikku gathered them around.

"Oh, by the way, I brought something for you all." Rikku tossed a device to each of them.

"What are these?" Wakka asked.

"Trackers. If you need us to come get you, just push the button on the screen. The trackers are connected to our oscillo-finder, and we'll be able to find your location from the signal."

"A new invention?" Yuna asked.

"Yeah! Shinra helped us make them in case we all got separated. That kid's still a whiz. Whatever you do, DO NOT lose them!"

Gaia reluctantly took the device.

Rikku started back towards the ship. "Well, good luck!"

"You're not coming with us?" Tidus asked.

"No can do, we gotta make our weekly rounds. We're already behind schedule. If you guys get lost, use those trackers. See ya!" Rikku hopped in the airship and took off.

"Well… that was interesting." Gaia said.

"She'll be back. Now let's kick some ass and take names!" Tidus said.

For a moment, they thought the call about the banshees attacking the tourists was some kind of joke. When they traveled further towards the lake, they noticed how strangely quiet it was. The crew had been walking for half an hour and haven't encountered any of the monsters. There were also no defenseless people around. They eventually arrived at the Inn next to the sign that read "Lake Macalania". Tidus saw that even the lake was starting to fade away. Or rather, it was melting. Gaia gaped at the icy boundaries of Macalania Lake and felt chills soaring up her spine. The rest of the crew looked at her as she violently shivered against the cold.

"You okay there?" Wakka asked.

"H-h-how are you guys not f-freezing right about n-now?" her teeth chattered as she spoke.

They all shrugged.

"Maybe you need a coat, or a cover of some kind." Yuna told her.

Yuna took Gaia into the shop.

"Lady Yuna! What brings you here today?" the shopkeeper said.

"Do you have any coats?" Yuna asked.

"We have all the coats you could find! Take your pick!"

Gaia looked around the shop at the shawls and coats they had. She never had to wear a coat before, and found it awkward that she was the only one in her group getting one. Something else caught her eye in the store, and she turned to the weaponry corner. As Yuna talked with the shopkeeper about the attacks happening around the lake, Gaia was distracted by the gorgeous bow sitting against the wall. It was the only one they had, carved with flawless design and a glowing string. Gaia picked up the bow and felt the same feeling she had when she held the blitzball. The string was extremely tight. She had to use a good amount of strength to pull it back. She looked at the quiver. The design matched that of the bow and the arrows were luminous just like the string. Gaia grabbed a red shawl and brought all items to the counter.

"How much for this?" she asked.

"That? Oh, well we'll give you a 75% discount on that. Since machines are now a thing, fighting with swords and bows has become obsolete. We were lucky to even sell one earlier this month!"

Gaia pulled the gil from her pocket and paid for the items.

"Do you know how to use that?" Yuna asked.

"We shall see, Miss Yuna."

Wakka and Tidus ran up to them.

"We got company!" Wakka said.

Everyone got into position as two banshees arrived. Tidus readied his sword and swung at one of them. The banshee flinched and came charging after Yuna. It barely missed her. Wakka casted a dark buster on both of them and their vision was covered by a dark cloud. Tidus and Wakka kept attacking it until it started to become weak. Yuna used her white magic to heal her friends and herself. Gaia seized the moment and pulled back the string with one of the arrows. Her arm was weak and it was difficult for her to hold the string and arrow in place. The string made contact with her arm and it interfered with the force of the arrow. It hit the banshee but it didn't kill it. Gaia was rubbing her arm and Tidus finished the attack with a move he called "Spiral Cut". Once the banshees were decimated, the others gathered around Gaia, who was still rubbing her injured arm.

"You alright there?" Tidus said.

"Yeah… just a little rusty I guess."

Not long after, they were ambushed again. Banshees were hoarding towards the opposite direction of the temple, where the path towards the Thunder Plains was. They fought, while Gaia was trying to adjust herself to her new weapon. Yuna continued healing her friends and attempted a couple of black magic spells as well. Being away from battle for so long, Yuna almost forgot how to use some of her powers. A good portion of the battle was spent using her antidotes and potions. She wished she reminded herself to bring the handguns she used during her Gullwing adventure.

The banshees were coming in packs. Three to four of them were attacking at once and Yuna was starting to worry she was running out of potions. Tidus used his Slowaga attacks on the enemies and Wakka struck them with his element reels. That was enough to buy them some time. Yuna conjured a Curaga spell, one that she hasn't used in a long time. It worked well enough to keep them healthy, but not 100%. Gaia struck the monsters with her arrows but the physical damage inflicted wasn't enough to help them. Soon, the entire path was covered with monsters. They each held their arms in the air and prepared themselves to take down the crew. Tidus remembered the grenades he had on his chest and he threw two of them at the crowd of banshees.

"Fire in the hole!" he yelled as the group ran the opposite direction.

As Tidus was running, the explosion of the grenades reminded him of the dream he had the other night. He felt sweat running down his face as he ran, and sudden anxiety was overcoming his senses. He made sure they were far enough from the enemies before falling on his knees. His breathing and heart rate increased rapidly. Yuna was by his side trying to comfort him, but he couldn't hear her words. All he was hearing was the high-pitched ringing in his ears. Tidus covered his ears tightly, trying to drown out the sound.

When his panic attack was over, Yuna was kneeling next to him.

"Are you okay, Tidus?" she asked him.

"You kinda went pale for a second," Wakka told him.

"I'm fine," Tidus said, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you sure?" Yuna said. Tidus stood up as if nothing happened.

"Definitely! I just think I should hold off on using these."

"I wonder…" Wakka was staring at where the banshees arrived from.

"What?" Yuna asked.

He took a couple steps further into the path. "Those things didn't come from the temple, ya? They came from that direction."

"From the Thunder Plains?" Tidus asked.

"I think so, but… I don't get it."

Yuna thought for a moment. "Should we go and look?"

"I don't know… we're going to run into more fiends if we go that way." Gaia said.

"But… We should see about where they're coming from." Yuna said. "Besides, Rikku said we could call her if we run into trouble."

"Wait! Don't we have to pray at the temple?"

"Why would we?" Tidus asked.

Gaia raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, we want to have a safe journey right? So we should pray!"

"Nobody does that anymore!" Tidus said as he lead the group towards the Thunder Plains. Gaia stood there, dumbfounded, before joining them.

Gaia had already seemed a bit worn out from the battles they've just had with these things. She wondered how they were able to fight so many of them and still have enough energy to continue on. They walked towards the Thunder Plains, which wasn't a long trip due to the Macalania Woods having faded away. As usual, the lightning storm hasn't stopped over the plains, but there was something off about it. Yuna didn't remember seeing the large cloud of mist reaching from the sky to the top of the lightning rods. The cloud wasn't the same gray shade as the thunderclouds were. This mist was multicolored and something about it felt comforting yet haunting at the same time.


	6. The Mist

**The Mist**

People were gathered around each of the lightning rod towers. There were groups of three or more, enjoying a nice talk with each other amidst the storm, completely disregarding the lightning around them. In one of the groups, there were two elderly people and one younger person, which Tidus assumed to be their child, or grandchild. Others were two lovers locked hand-in-hand. On any other day, the scene before him would've looked nothing out of the ordinary, aside from the people ignoring the violent storm. But there was something off. Tidus could see that some of these people weren't exactly real people. They were fading, in and out of existence. The phenomenon went by unnoticed, or possibly ignored, by the actual living people, which completely confused Tidus. If it were him, he would have been extremely concerned. Weren't the public already fearful of the unreal people? They could have been fiends, or worse.

"Hey, you guys are seeing this too, right?" Tidus asked.

"Seeing what?" said Wakka.

"Half these people aren't real."

When they spoke they sounded as if they were in pain. If they truly were fading in and out of existence, that meant they weren't completely alive. They were probably shifting from the place they were supposed to be to the real world. Shifting between dimensions was a terrifying thought to the blonde man.

"Can you hear them?" Tidus asked Yuna.

"Y-yes."

"Oh good, I'm glad I'm not going crazy."

"This stuff ain't been here before, ya?" Wakka pointed at the mist with his chin.

"No, it hasn't." They all kept their eyes on the peculiar cloud. Although there was no sunlight in the Thunder Plains, the clouds were reflecting a ray of light onto the ground. It was a dim light, but it was enough to reveal the illusions.

"Are those people dead?" Gaia asked, keeping her voice low.

"Yeah," Wakka told her. "Don't know where they came from."

"I feel like we've seen this misty substance before. But where?" Yuna said.

"If we keep going that way, we'll probably find out." Tidus pointed forward.

As they were traveling through the Thunder Plains, dodging lighting bolts, Tidus wondered how these people didn't notice the banshee rampage that attacked them at Macalania, even though it was dangerously close to these peaceful people. Perhaps they were too busy reconciling with each other.

They walked far enough where they arrived at the entrance to Guadosalam. Tidus could feel his chest tighten being back in the home of the traitors. The loathing he had for Seymour was raging and thought it was completely justifiable that all of the Guado received the fate they had. They deserved to be punished for aiding this treacherous maester in his plot to destroy Spira, he said to himself. What was even worse was Yuna feeling the least bit of sympathy after they did what they did to her. It was in her nature to forgive and see things in a different light, which was another thing Tidus didn't understand about her.

As they went further into the area, Yuna mentioned that the other races of tourists that were present when she and the Gullwings visited were gone, and only a small portion of Guado were roaming the place. The people might have distanced themselves from the place once the Guado returned. Tidus noticed the path of the mist was narrower, leaving the rest of the place completely clear, and his eyes followed it over to the underground entrance.

"Wait… isn't that…?" Tidus asked.

"The Farplane." Yuna said.

With that said, they traveled downward. The opaque clouds made it difficult to see, but Yuna and the rest had walked this way so many times, they could have walked it blindfolded.

The funnel shape of the Farplane entrance compressed the mist into a condensed cluster. Yuna was hesitating, and the pause she took before walking inside didn't go by unnoticed by the others. Tidus took a couple of steady steps close to her.

"You okay, Yuna?" he asked her.

"Yes, I just think..." her voice trailed off. "That we shouldn't go inside."

"Why not?" he asked.

She looked at him. "Because... it might not be safe..."

He waved a dismissive hand. "Hey, if they fight, then we'll fight back!"

The platform was overflowing with the clouds from the surrounding environment. It was completely baffling to think that the entire background was real. Tidus had always assumed that it was meant to look that way to give the living onlookers a source of comfort. They would be relieved knowing that their deceased loved ones were traveling to a beautiful, heavenly place. As Tidus and the rest walked across the levitating platform, he made sure to watch his step. He wasn't sure how far down the area underneath them was, but he didn't intend to find out.

Nobody called their loved ones. Nobody even thought about them. The Farplane seemed unstable at this point, and it was enough to create this fear in people's minds that they might not have liked what they saw. A simple reunion between a person and the pyreflies could have caused disaster.

"Was this place always like this?" Gaia asked.

"No." Everyone else answered.

"How… how did it get this way?" Yuna asked, her voice shaken.

"Wait, that shoopuff…" Wakka said. "If it was brought back…"

Tidus turned to him. "What?"

"Nothing," Wakka said. "Just had a funny thought, ya?"

"Oh… so what exactly does this mean?"

"I don't know." Yuna said.

Gaia walked further away from the entrance. Even she seemed too afraid to call those she'd lost. Or perhaps she was having a hard time creating an image of them. She still couldn't explain exactly how she was washed up onto the shore.

"You got anybody you wanna see?" Wakka asked her.

"Not really," Gaia said. "I don't remember anyone from my past. Hell, I still don't even remember how I got to Besaid."

The redheaded man folded his arms across his chest as he stared out into the environment. When he came to the Farplane, there was only one person he could've thought of calling. He wouldn't have spent a day in that unfortunate place without a word or two with his brother. But the area in front of him was empty.

"It's funny, I can remember how to play blitzball and all the moves I made up, but if you asked me what my parents' names were, I couldn't tell you." Gaia continued.

"Yeah, I know what that's like." Wakka responded, his voice becoming low.

"You do?"

"Oh yeah, I lost my parents when I was really young." He shifted his position. He may have been anxious to leave already. "I don't even know what they look like, never mind their names, ya?"

"It seems like a lot of people lost something, or other in their lives." Gaia said to him.

"Yeah, but Yuna made sure to put an end to that."

"When she fought Sin?"

"Yup."

Gaia turned to him, her eyes fixated on the blue bandanna wrapped around his head. "So… what was it like? Going on Yuna's pilgrimage?"

There were so many things to tell about that pilgrimage, that Tidus wouldn't have known where to start with it all. They learned things, they did things, they sacrificed things, and Tidus had practically become a different person at the end of it. They all had. And the precious religion that everyone had invested so much time in? That had changed as well, and become something Tidus agreed with even less. The reason that Yuna promoted an idea of common sense, being kind and treating people equally, with the Yevon name branded onto it wasn't clear to him. But he was told not to question her about it.

"Well… it was definitely not what we were expecting, ya?" Wakka continued. "Summoners' jobs were clear as day: pray at every temple, get the aeons, and travel to Zanarkand where they get the Final Aeon, ya? But when we got to Zanarkand, things kind of took a turn."

"Yuna couldn't get the Final Aeon?" Gaia asked.

"That's the thing, there was no Final Aeon."

"What? Then how did she defeat Sin?"

"We went right up to Sin, and we attacked it from the inside."

"Woah," The woman took a couple of steps back. "I didn't even think Sin _had_ an inside."

"Nobody did. It was something no summoner's ever done before." Tidus said to them.

Gaia turned her head to the blonde. "What was inside Sin?"

"Lots and lots of fiends. Yu Yevon." The name left an awful feeling inside Tidus's mouth as he said it.

"Yu… Yevon?" Gaia asked.

Tidus nodded to her.

Before anyone could explain any further, Yuna said she thought it was best they left this area. Tidus was glad. He already had an ominous feeling whenever he visited the land of resurrected memories. Now, he wasn't even sure he would be able to sleep that night.

Tidus wasn't sure what to make of this situation. Although he had spent an entire year on this world, he still had yet to learn about the process of sending dead people. Seymour was dead, but he was still there when they fought him. Those people at the Thunder Plains were real, but they weren't. Tidus was told that dead people never left the Farplane, but clearly that wasn't the case. He tried satisfying these wonders with the simple explanation that the Farplane was just out of balance, and strange things happened because of it. It made the most sense out of every other reasoning. The Farplane mist might have been following these illusions wherever they went, or the other way around.

When the crew came back from the underground, they were met with two familiar faces.

"Hey, Lady Yuna!" Kurgum waved to them.

"Kurgum! What are you two doing here?" she responded.

"Same as you." Chuami said, in her usual stern tone as they came over. "Trying to get information about this mess."

"Did Baralai send you here?" Yuna asked.

"Yeah, he said something about the Farplane coming out of its containment." Kurgum said.

"Why are you guys here?" Chuami asked. "Didn't they tell you to stick to getting rid of those fiends?"

"We did," Tidus said. "We wanted to check out where they were coming from."

"That's what _we're_ supposed to be doing." Chuami said.

"But we're still did our job." Yuna said.

"Don't you still have Mt. Gagazet to check on?" Chuami told them.

"We'll be doing that shortly. We were just checking to be sure the people weren't in danger." Yuna's voice sharpened.

Chuami scoffed. "If you don't want to hear from the Council, you should stick to the job you're given, so you don't waste your _and_ their time."

"Chuami!" Kurgum said.

"Hey," Tidus stepped up. "The Council just cares about one main problem, right? What does it matter if we're doing your job as long as we're still taking care of it?"

"It's not just one main problem. It also doesn't concern you in any way."

Wakka scoffed and crossed his arms, but he didn't interfere.

"Listen…" Tidus said, but Yuna stopped him.

"It's okay, we were just leaving anyway." Yuna and the others turned around and were about to leave when they heard the sound of someone calling for help.

As the frightened residents fled their home, Yuna and the others braced themselves as two melusines appeared. One of them came charging after Wakka and scratched him a good amount. Yuna was hit with a Confuse attack and was having a difficult time trying to stand. Gaia jumped at the opportunity to send an arrow into the monster. The melusine screamed in pain as it lunged towards her. The dark-haired woman yelped in pain as it gave her three scratches. The one on the left attacked Wakka and infected him with Confusion. Wakka started attacking his allies and nearly eliminated poor Yuna with his dangerous blitzball. Tidus sliced the monster and it squealed as it rose into the air. It wasn't an easy fight for him. He might have been losing his touch with not only his blitzball skills. Once it was over, he exhaled heavily.

They heard crying coming from the entrance to Guadosalam. As they followed the sound of it, they found a Guado child wailing, holding his knees to his chest. He was calling for his father and mother and Yuna knelt beside him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I want my daddy! I want my mommy!"

"Where are they?" Yuna asked.

The child calmed his sobbing for a bit and expanded his shaking arm to point them towards the direction behind. They turned their heads to see the monstrosity snarling and foaming at the mouth. It was a large monster, with pulsing veins and a fleshy surface. It had large hands with claws similar to the Guado species, and its veins were centered on its face. Its legs were replaced with fleshy tentacles, and they saw multiple eyes popping out of its head. Tendrils emerged from its back.

"What the hell…?" Wakka had lost his balance for a second as he took a step back.

"Stay back!" Yuna told the small boy.

Tidus casted his Hasteaga spell on the party members. In retaliation, the beast casted a shell on itself. The members fought the monster, with Yuna healing them as they took massive amounts of damage. It attacked by shooting some unknown oozing substance from its eyes, and when the crowd felt like they were winning the fight, the monster poisoned and blinded them with its breath. Tidus noticed that this fiend had the abilities of both its Guado half and the fiend half. The Malboro half, to be specific. Those nasty eyes, those terrifying tentacles. It couldn't have been anything else. It healed itself with its own auto-potion move.

It wasn't until Gaia sent an arrow right in the middle of its face that it released a hellish scream. When the fiend fell to the ground and its blood spilled out, Wakka and Gaia felt mutually sickened by the sight of the red liquid.

Yuna and the others drank the remaining antidotes and turned their attention to the crying boy.

"What happened?" Yuna asked.

"I-I… I… was trying to see my daddy…" the boy stuttered. "I… I spoke to him… and… I saw him. He was here with me. But then…"

The boy cried and shuddered. Yuna put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, you're safe now." She said. The boy wiped his runny nose on his sleeve and tried looking the others in the eye.

"What happened next?" Tidus asked.

"My daddy… he… he was here, I'm sure of it," the boy said. "I saw him with my own eyes. I went out to give him a hug… but then… he… he turned into a monster!"

He whimpered as Yuna and the others shared a look.

"He wasn't a monster when I saw him before!" the boy said. He continued crying and hugged his knees tighter.

"It's alright now," Yuna said. "Where's your mother?"

"She went to visit cousin Kiara."

"Where is she?"

"Dead." The boy said it nonchalantly, making Yuna feel slightly disturbed.

"Do you mean over in that area?" Yuna said, pointing in the direction of the Farplane mist.

The boy shook his head. "She told me to stay with auntie until she came back. She said something about… Crew-say-ders."

"What's your name?" Yuna asked.

"Bayal."

"Well, Bayal, why don't we go and find your aunt?"

She took his hand and led him to the Guado that were checking their home for any sign of fiends. Once the boy's aunt was found he ran to her, and she thanked the crew for being patient with him. The boy looked at Yuna and asked if she would find his mother for him. She replied that she would do her best.

They traveled along the Thunder Plains, and Tidus contemplated what could've happened with Bayal. It was just as Yuna said. A human, or Guado-like, fiend. While they were walking, several of the illusions were gazing at him as if he was the one that wasn't supposed to walk this world. Wakka and Gaia both had pale faces as they walked.

"I hope we don't have to fight those things anymore," Gaia said. She was holding her stomach.

"Somehow, I feel like that was only the beginning." Yuna said.

"Ugh… can we… can we talk about something else?" Wakka pleaded.

"We gotta figure out where they came from, right?" Tidus said to him.

"I know but…"

"Geez, you both look like you're gonna hurl. What's with you two?" he asked.

"I hate the sight of blood!" Gaia said.

"Me too!" said Wakka.

"It was there for a split second!"

"Still!" Gaia said.

"Wimps!"

"Look, can we at least get outta here?" Wakka asked.

"Yes, I'd like to leave as soon as possible." Yuna said.

Wakka pulled out his tracker. "Alright, let's see how this thing works."

"Uh, Wakka? I don't think it's a good idea to use that out here…" Tidus said.

"Relax, we're out in the open, ya?" he held the device in the air. "Now how do you use…?"

The lightning bolt struck the device, amazingly missing Wakka's head. Wakka dropped the burning tracker before it could do any damage to him. He stood back a couple steps. The device was steaming and sizzling, something Tidus had never heard or seen an electronic device do. Tidus laughed loudly.

"I warned you!" He said. He couldn't stop laughing at his friend.

"Woah! My head almost got zapped and you laugh about it? You dick!" he ran after Tidus.

The girls were quite amused as Wakka chased his friend around.

"Well what do we do now?" Gaia asked Yuna.

"We should head back towards Macalania. We can call Rikku there."

Gaia chuckled. "I meant about them."

Wakka grabbed Tidus and held him in a chokehold. Tidus could struggle all he wanted, but he was no match to the taller man.

"We probably shouldn't use our trackers here." Yuna said. "Let's go back to Macalania. We can call Rikku to take us to Mt. Gagazet."

"You're the boss!" Wakka said, keeping his grip around Tidus's neck.

* * *

They made their way across the Thunder Plains, avoiding lightning bolts and occasionally running into evil eyes. If Tidus wasn't worried about the state of the Farplane, the vicious hybrid monsters, and the soreness in his limbs, he would've felt a bit nostalgic about walking through this place again. With Rikku throwing herself on the floor, begging for them to take a rest, Wakka trying to lighten the situation by joking about the thunder, Lulu scolding him for it. The Thunder Plains were a dangerous, desolate place where only the brave and potentially insane would walk through just for fun. That was exactly what Tidus wanted. To give himself a bit of a thrill traveling through this place with Yuna and her Gullwing friends. He was internally grateful that he was able to with her this one time.

By the time they made it, the sky was clearer and they saw that it was almost dusk. Gaia had also exhaled in exhaustion and shivered under her red shawl.

"Can we rest for a bit?" Gaia said. "I'm so tired."

"Right now?" Tidus said to her. "We only just started our trip."

Gaia was panting as she spoke. "You… you guys… are used to this kind of travel? You never took any breaks before?"

"No, we did." Wakka said. "But the less time we take on this trip, the sooner we can go home, ya?"

Gaia sighed.

Using her tracker, Yuna sent a signal to Rikku about their whereabouts.

"Can we at least wait inside the Inn?" Gaia asked.

"If we stay there long enough, they might tell us to leave or pay up."

Gaia was shivering again.

"Well it shouldn't take too long for Rikku to arrive." Yuna told her. "We can wait there until then."

As they waited, they received no response on their trackers. To make the time pass even faster, each of them shared a piece of their history with one another. Gaia mentioned the fact that she used to play blitzball when she lived in Luca and was recruited by multiple teams. She refused to play for the Luca Goers because she despised their attitude. She may had been a great blitzball player, but the thing that mattered to her most wasn't victory. She said to her, it was about working together and helping one another out. Her selfless outlook on the game didn't sit well with any of the teams, as she protested against them when they made victory their only goal.

"But when you play, you play to win!" Tidus said.

"Not me, I just wanted to play." Gaia said. "It was less fun when I started playing for victory. It became a chore instead of a hobby."

"I know how you feel, ya?" Wakka said. "When I played, I didn't play because I wanted to win."

"Yeah but that way of thinking cost you a ten year losing streak." Tidus told him.

Wakka shrugged. "I still didn't care about winning, ya?"

"So, if you didn't play to win, why did you play for so long?" Gaia asked.

"It was fun, and I enjoyed hanging out with my buddies, the Aurochs. Maybe I also did it because I wanted a distraction, ya?"

"Distraction from what?"

Wakka's face fell. "Just from… grief. Lot of bad things happening around me, and my friends. Blitz kind of felt like an escape from that, ya?"

Gaia lowered her gaze. "Oh... I'm sorry I... brought it up."

The redheaded man lifted his head up and smiled. "Nah, don't be."

Nightfall came and there was still no word from Rikku. The shopkeeper reminded them that the Inn would close in just a few hours. The crew picked up some refreshments as they moved from the tables to the softer couches in the lobby. By the time it was only half an hour until closing time, everyone was starting to wonder if Rikku was alright. Wakka was shaking his legs in anxiousness and Tidus was trying to come up with a way to take their minds off of their troubles.

"So… what about those fiends?" Tidus said. "I've never seen a hybrid like that before."

"I don't think it's that." Yuna said.

"The kid said he called his dad, and then he turned into a monster." Gaia said.

"Yeah? So what does that mean?" Wakka asked.

It was silent for a minute as Tidus swarmed his mind with his puzzlement once more.

"I thought only unsents become fiends." Tidus said.

"They do." Yuna told him.

"He called his dad from the Farplane right?" Tidus asked. "So… why did his dad show up and turn into a fiend? I thought you were only seeing your memories of the dead."

Wakka shifted his gaze at Yuna.

"It's hard to say." She said.

"You know what else? More than half those people at the Thunder Plains weren't real. They were fading and then coming back at the same time. At first I thought they were all unsents, but there weren't any pyreflies surrounding them like regular unsents. So… what does that make them?"

Yuna folded her hands. "They're… illusions."

"But I thought illusions only existed in the Farplane."

"You know, the clouds from the Farplane stretched all the way across the Thunder Plains." Gaia said. "Maybe that just means people can call their relatives wherever those clouds are."

"We have yet to find out." Yuna said.

"Yeah if we ever get out of here." Tidus said.

"I hope Rikku's okay," Yuna said.

"She's probably just having machine troubles, ya?"

"Maybe…"

The clock on the wall chimed for the Inn's closing time.

"Well, I guess Gaia's getting her wish." Wakka got up from his seat.

There were only three rooms available and Tidus was completely against sharing his with anyone else besides Yuna. As they made their way to their rooms, Wakka grabbed Tidus's shoulder further down the hall.

"You know the rules, no screwing around with Yuna, or…"

"I know, I know, you'll cut off my nether regions."

"That's right."

Luckily for him and his happy place, the only thing that was on his mind that night was sleep. Since that miserable blitzball game, Tidus hasn't had a full night's rest, and he was starting to feel fatigue weighing him down. As he bid goodnight to Yuna, he rested his head against the cool pillow and blacked out.

And then he was on Besaid Island. He emerged from the depths of the ocean and whistled to his love. He laid on his back as he floated on the surface, staring at the sun and feeling elated to be back home. He could remember it like it was yesterday when he first arrived here, clueless and relieved at the same time that someone offered to help him.

When he walked on the sandy shore, he turned as he heard the sound of the airship behind him. The crimson-colored _Celsius_ arrived and Tidus was expecting to see Yuna running over to him. She did but she didn't throw her arms around him like she did before. She looked at him, terror reflected in her eyes. Her pace quickened as she sped past him and into the jungle. Tidus started after her, but his foot caught onto something and he tripped. The atmosphere surrounding the island was now dark and threatening. The petrified blonde dared a look at what tripped him, hoping it was only a rock. It was a bit too blurry to see, but as Tidus focused his vision, his eyes widened and he was hyperventilating. It wasn't a rock. It was his own decapitated head.

In a cold sweat, Tidus awoke screaming. It had taken him a while to gather his conscious mind and calm himself. He apologized out loud for waking Yuna, but when he turned his head, he realized she wasn't there beside him.


	7. History Relived

**History Relived**

Tidus searched around the Inn, whispering Yuna's name. He was careful not to wake the sleeping guests. The lights were still on in the hallway but the lobby was dark and nearly impossible to see. He was feeling his way through with his hands and almost tripped over something solid. Figuring it wasn't ideal to walk out in the cold half-naked, he went back to his room and got dressed. He pulled the tracker, something Rikku had forgotten to teach any of them to use. He fiddled with the options until he saw a blinking light pointing opposite from his position. There was another light beside the one. It was probably Gaia's tracker. Tidus followed the direction of the blinking light outside the room and down the hall, hoping that he was using it right.

It was showing that Yuna was located a ways away from the Inn. A couple of miles away, in fact. She had wandered off on her own in the complete cold. If this was her pilgrimage, she would have been scolded by her guardians for deciding to take a walk without them. It wasn't any more safe in this situation than it was then. And now there were these half-human, half-fiend creatures. That image of them pulsing, bleeding human blood, could not get out of his mind. Regardless of how hard he tried.

Yuna hadn't just taken a walk to clear her mind. She had wandered off all the way to Macalania temple. The temple was deserted, cold, and uninviting. Even the musicians that lingered around Macalania didn't grace the area with their presence. The temple might as well had been dead. The fayth that once lived there had brought life into it when it was still there. It was the heart of the temple. When he appeared at the bottom of the tall stairs, he saw the door to the Chamber of the Fayth was open. It was impressive that Yuna had managed to pry it open, because even Tidus couldn't open it on his own.

She was sitting on her knees before the empty statue. She bowed her head and it was so quiet that he could hear her soft breathing of the former summoner in front of him. She seemed nervous. Just like she had when they were traveling to look at the unstable Farplane.

"Yuna?" She jumped a bit as he sat next to her.

"Oh… I-I… how did you find me?"

"I used the tracker." He rested his hands on his crossed legs. "Sorry, I'm not a stalker, I swear."

Yuna gave him a half-smile and turned her attention back to the fayth. She might have been praying for the people's safety. Or maybe for the fayth to come back. A lot of people prayed for one or the other even in this day and age.

"What are you doing here so late?" Tidus asked.

"I… couldn't sleep." she answered, softly. "Sometimes coming to the temples helps me clear my head."

"Even though there's no fayth?"

"I'd like to think otherwise." She turned her head up to Shiva's mural. "It's more comforting that way."

"Do you pray in the temples every morning with those old people?"

"Yes."

"So that's it…"

Suddenly, Tidus felt silly for thinking she was hiding things from him.

"I pray with them for peace on Spira, and for the Eternal Calm to continue."

"Are they worried about Sin coming back?"

"They haven't stopped worrying since we told them the truth about Yevon. Every now and then, they'll accuse us of fabricating the story, and since more of the old traditions are being replaced, their anxiety never stops."

"Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate, trying to keep them on their feet."

Her smile faded and she lowered her gaze. Despite the fact that she wouldn't say it, Tidus knew she was thinking about that fact.

"The way we do it, the Yevoners, is that we give them a new face of Yevon. One with ethics."

"But… isn't that not being a hundred percent honest about Yevon's true face."

She hesitated to answer.

"Yes, but it's hard to be honest with these people. They had their faith shattered, and..." her voice trailed off again. "They're trying to reconstruct their lives from it. It was a big deal for them for a long time."

"Yeah, but… sometimes things just are what they are." Tidus said. "They gotta wake up and embrace this new age some day. Why can't they just start now?"

Yuna lowered her gaze. "I wish it were that easy to convince them about that."

 _I was thrilled that Yuna was finally talking to me about what she spent her days doing. But I couldn't help but wonder. If this was all she had to say about it, why didn't she just say it before? It wasn't ground-shaking, or confidential, or anything. Were people just telling me that she couldn't talk about it so I wouldn't ask? Why?_

Yuna rested her head on Tidus's shoulder. He put his hand on her head and held her close. He was glad he was finally able to spend this time with her. It was in secret, in a place where no one would think to look. Just like it always was. But Tidus didn't mind this time. He had her all to himself for that night, and although he didn't want to do anything particularly disrespectful, even he wanted to have some form of discretion for the temple, he was glad. He was glad he at least was able to share some form of connection with her.

"Hey... Yuna?" he whispered to her. But when he looked at her again, she had fallen fast asleep. He allowed the tiredness to take him, and had closed his eyes in slumber right beside her.

* * *

The next morning, they were awakened by an over-exaggerated call by their friends.

"Hey! What are you two up to?" Wakka said.

"Wakka freaked the hell out when he thought you guys went missing this morning." Gaia told them.

"Sorry." Yuna replied with a sleepy yawn.

"Good thing we got these trackers, or else we would've had to send out a search party, ya?"

All worried about Rikku were finally calm as she arrived on the _Kelvin_. Her hair was frazzled, she looked as if she had been up all night, and how she managed to maintain that cheery attitude was completely unclear. Rikku was practically half-asleep by the time she had stepped off the ship.

"Sorry! We got caught in multiple jobs, and our ship broke down before we could reach you!" she told them.

"It's okay, there's no rush." Yuna reassured her.

"I got a message on the oscillo-finder saying one of your trackers lost its signal! Did one of you guys break it already?"

Tidus coughed. "Wakka…"

The Al Bhed girl turned her head towards him. "What did you do, play blitzball with it?"

"Uh…" Wakka turned his head the other way and whistled a harmonious tune.

Tidus pulled the tracker out of Wakka's pocket and showed it to Rikku.

"Yikes! You gotta be more careful with lightning and electronics! These aren't easy to make, you know?"

Wakka crossed his arms. "Well, you guys shouldn't make machines that break when they're hit by lightning, ya?"

"Well maybe a certain hairbrained fool shouldn't be messing around in dangerous lightning places in the first place! What were you guys doing at the Thunder Plains anyways?"

"We saw a bunch of fiends, and we went to figure out where they came from." Tidus told her.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yes." Yuna said. "In fact, we found out a lot more than we wanted to."

"Oh." Rikku said. "And you're on the way to Mt. Gagazet?"

Yuna nodded.

"Well, we're going to have to be extra careful when we travel over the mountain. That weather's no good for aircraft."

Tidus and Yuna seated themselves underneath the overhead compartment, and as they traveled, he asked Yuna what their intentions would be when they reached Mt. Gagazet. She explained to him that a similar situation he'd seen at the Thunder Plains was happening on the tall mountain. The fallen Ronso were reuniting with the rest of their species who once vowed to avenge their deaths. She mentioned that she feared they would wander towards the path of hatred when they saw their relatives return. After all, their demise was a cruel reminder of the treacherous Guado. Multiple efforts were done by the Gullwings to prevent a war between them, and it was definitely worth the time. But Yuna worried she might have to do it again.

During the ride to Mt. Gagazet, the crew happily talked and talked about Rikku's adventures with Gippal and her father. Gaia was keeping to herself in the corner of the ship, and Wakka was uncharacteristically doing the same.

The mountain was frigid and the ship passed by the floating rocks that Yuna and the Gullwings trespassed on their sphere-hunting adventure. Tidus gaped at them in awe. Another result of the absent fayth. How fun would it have been to hop from one to the next, thousands of feet in the air.

 _As we approached the Ronso territory, I thought about their reaction to their dead loved ones being back. The Ronso spoke in few words and small sentences. I had to ask myself "what exactly are they thinking about if they only speak a fraction of what's on their minds?"._

When they arrived on the mountain, the area was covered in a thick fog. It wasn't the same fog as in Guadosalam. It was snowing lightly and a blistering wind was blowing. It was empty, as if the Ronso had completely abandoned their home. Tidus and the others waded through the fog, which made it as difficult to see as the opaque Farplane mist. When the environment started to become more visible, Tidus noticed the stone had scratches against it from powerful claws. There were broken spears all around, some of them stuck into the cracks of the stone. A struggle may have happened, or a fight, but there was no sign of the tribe anywhere.

"Woah… what happened here?" Tidus asked them.

"I don't know…" Yuna said. Tidus pondered what could've happened. He heard the fallen Ronso had appeared out of thin air. A result of the Farplane being out of balance were the deceased Ronso wandering. But that wasn't an explanation. As the fog started to clear, Tidus could see splatters of the Ronso blood against the rock. They could see ahead of them a shadowy Ronso figure.

"Kimahri…?" Yuna said. The shadowy figure stood on all fours. It came closer, growling menacingly and its eyes had no sign of empathy, or reason. The creature had horns on its back and a long tail, and fire appearing from its mouth. The only thing that was still left from the Ronso it was once was its head.

"Yunie! Watch out!" Rikku said. Tidus and Wakka jumped to action. This creature was much stronger than either of its halves. It breathed its fire on each of the party members and the immediate chill that arrived after being burnt made the wounds feel much worse. Tidus moved quickly, dodging each attack and with Yuna healing him after each strike. Gaia was hitting it with her arrows when she looked up and had an idea. Above them was a cluster of icicles, each one tightly packed against the other. With an accurate and risky shot, Gaia hit it and sent each of the icicles downward. When the fiends were finished, everyone looked at her in shock. They were not expecting anything lethal to fall from above them.

"Come on! They need our help!" Yuna said as she ran forward.

They were faced with several others of that enemy type. They were merciless and tough, with fiery breath and fatal attacks. As each one of the fiends was put down, Tidus saw Yuna fall to the ground, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her former guardian, elder of the Ronso, and protector of Yuna for many years was nowhere in sight. He helped her back up.

As they arrived at the ruins of an old statue, two different monsters appeared right in front of them. They were both oversized-looking Ronso with four arms attached to them and claws on their feet and hands. Wakka attacked them with Sleep Buster, but it wasn't effective. One of the monsters hit Tidus so hard that he immediately fell to the ground. Yuna ran to his side as Wakka continued striking the monsters with his element reels. She had revived him and he was barely hanging onto his strength as the monsters charged themselves. All of a sudden, their battle was halted. A Ronso appeared in front of Yuna and pushed the monster towards the edge of the cliff. The fiend grabbed the rescuer and threw him against the stone wall. Both enemies were about to throw every bit of their strength at the poor rescuer, but they were killed by the last few blows from the crew.

"Kimahri!" Yuna ran over to her Ronso friend. Kimahri was breathing in shallow breaths and he had multiple wounds on his chest, some from previous battles against other monsters. He coughed up some blood.

"Here, I have something that might help." Rikku pulled a vial out of her satchel and poured the contents into Kimahri's mouth.

"What's that?" Yuna asked.

"An Al Bhed potion. It'll be a while before it goes into effect but it'll help."

A few of the nearby Ronso clan approached the crew and gazed upon the injured Kimahri. They were carrying spears and torches.

"Please, can you help him?" Yuna asked them.

The Ronso carried Kimahri away with the crew trailing behind them. Ahead of them, Tidus could see a large tent with torn cloth draping over the entrance and two guards at the sides. Several of the other Ronso were already stationed in it, with bandages over their injuries and patches over their eyes. One of them was Garik, whom Yuna said she helped abandon his thirst for vengeance over the death of his kind. Kimahri was placed in a small cot and some healers were at his sides. They tended to the openings in his skin by dragging a damp cloth over them.

"Is he going to be okay?" Rikku asked.

"Kimahri strong. Kimahri will make it." One of the healers said.

The Ronso guardian coughed and opened his weary eyes to look at Yuna. His breath was strained. Yuna put her palm on his forehead.

"Kimahri…"

"Biran…. Yenke…" Kimahri coughed as he spoke in a hoarse voice.

"You saw them?" Yuna asked.

"Biran… Yenke… they attack… Ronso… Kimahri… protect Ronso."

He coughed some more. He relaxed his muscles as he laid back down on the cot, allowing the healers to tend to him.

Yuna joined up with her crew at the entrance of the tent.

"Is he okay?" Tidus asked.

"I think so. But he will need lots of rest and care. I hope he'll let them do their best for him." Yuna told him.

* * *

Deep underneath the palace of St. Bevelle, an abandoned machina production facility has been opened up for the business of the Machine Faction. The 1000-year-old technology was now replaced with upgraded machines, gadgets, and a global tracking system that expanded throughout the world. Baralai was sitting in front of the oscillo-finder tracking the two ships sent out by the Machine Faction. One of them belonged to Rin's Travel Agency, and the other was _Kelvin_ , the ship that carried Rikku and her coworkers. Nooj was looking through the daily list of issues.

"I see those guys are still on Gagazet." Gippal said. "I hope they're watching over that ship."

"I think they have bigger problems than taking care of the ship." Baralai said.

"All these messages from the public, and they all say the same thing: people are being beckoned back into the world and a lot of them are turning into fiends. We still don't have the slightest idea why this is happening." Nooj was pacing, trying to think of a rational explanation for it.

"That's what Yuna's looking into." Baralai told him. "Once she gets back here from Djose shore, she'll give us the input."

"We shouldn't wait until she travels to Djose before ordering her crew back here to show us what they've found. Tell her to return from Gagazet. Say it's an urgent matter. Many of the people's lives are at stake with their beckoned relatives turning into fiends." Nooj said.

"That's a possibility."

"I need to get back to business with that ship. Rikku just said she was borrowing it, but I don't trust her navigating skills." Gippal said.

"Very well then, I'll send Yuna's party a message." Baralai tapped Yuna's location on the oscillo-finder and typed the message.

"Hey, do you smell something weird?" Gippal said, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Maybe it's you." Nooj said, wobbling from side to side on his feet.

"That should do it." Baralai said. "What were you guys… saying about…?"

All three of the council members fainted as an intoxicating aroma leaked into the room from the air vent.


	8. The Twilight Zone

**The Twilight Zone**

Tidus could remember the first time he faced Kimahri. The Ronso was distrusting and hostile, and didn't hesitate to challenge the blonde boy. Tidus once believed it was a Ronso trait to fight a stranger in their tribe, or in this case, a guardian party. Or that it was his natural instinct to fight in general. But that thought was always contradicted when he saw Kimahri's tender reactions to Yuna. Tidus didn't need Kimahri to tell the blonde he didn't like him, nor did he appreciate the idea of him spending time around Yuna. Within time, Kimahri had grown accustomed to him, and maybe even liked him. Tidus was still unsure, and since the Ronso wasn't keen on expressing emotions with his words, he never asked. He was the strong, silent type, Yuna would say.

But as Yuna sat beside the Ronso barely clinging to his life, he seemed helpless. He wouldn't have let Yuna worry so much about him before. He would have stood up and acted as if the wounds didn't exist.

While Rikku stepped outside to answer a call, Gaia sat on her knees and watched in awe at Yuna's tenderness. Gaia, like many people, believed the Ronso were a rough and an uncaring kind, who only had sympathy towards their clan and the teachings of Yevon. It didn't occur to her that they had any sort of weakness.

"Yuna seems to be close to that guy." Gaia said in a soft voice.

"He's been her guardian since she was real little." Wakka said. "He first brought her to Besaid thirteen years ago."

Gaia's brow was furrowed and she turned her head away from the pained Ronso. "It seems so easy for her to connect with other people. She's so kind and gentle, and everyone seems to trust her."

"It's something natural for her, ya?"

"Must be nice," Her voice changed tone. "Having friends that support you everywhere you go."

Wakka looked at her, his eyes soft and with a sign of empathy. Rikku came back and walked over to Yuna's side.

"Yuna, can I talk with you for a second?" she whispered, taking her outside the tent.

Tidus pondered what Kimahri told Yuna.

"Do you really think Kimahri's old rivals came back and turned into… those?" he asked.

"Yeah, I mean it makes sense after what we saw back at Guadosalam, and what Yuna told us she saw at Djose shore." Wakka said.

"I didn't think they would turn that fast." Gaia said.

"Really? Aren't they known for losing control like that?" Tidus said.

Wakka shushed him and looked around at the others.

"What I mean is… it's easier for the dead to turn into monsters when they're already angry in life."

"Like Maester Seymour." Wakka said.

"Exactly."

"But… what makes them keep their non-fiend half?" Gaia asked.

"That's what we don't know yet." Tidus said.

Yuna and Rikku came back inside.

"We've just received a message from the Council. They're asking us to return to Bevelle." Yuna said.

"Should we leave right now?" Tidus said.

"It would probably be best. It sounded like it was urgent." Yuna said.

Before they left, Yuna knelt next to the sleeping Kimahri.

"We'll see you again soon, Kimahri." She gave him a hug before hurrying out of the tent to Rikku's airship. Tidus nodded to each of them, internally wishing them well.

 _Kelvin_ was flying slowly through the thick clouds. The cracks in the mountain were narrow, and any miscalculation could undo the new repairs. As the ship made its way to Bevelle, Yuna was walking back and forth, thinking of what to present to the Council. All of the events that happened leading up to right now were scattered throughout her mind. She didn't know where to begin with all of it.

"You okay, Yuna?" Wakka asked her.

"I'm just a little confused. What am I supposed to tell them?" She sat down on her knees. "I still don't know why this is happening. I'm not sure I can help anyone when I can't even come to terms with any of this."

Tidus put his hands on his hips and thought for a moment. He seated himself in a chair directly across from Yuna.

"Well let's figure it out." He rested his hands on his lap. "What do we already know?"

"People are coming back from the Farplane." Wakka said.

"And the Farplane is expanding, right? All the way from Guadosalam to who-knows-where." Tidus continued.

"The dead are becoming fiends, but they're still half-human, or half-Guado." Yuna said.

"Half-Ronso." Rikku put in.

"And the question is why?" Tidus said.

There was silence for a couple minutes as everyone was in deep contemplation.

"Unsent become fiends because they envy the living, and then that envy turns to hate, right?" Gaia said.

"Right, which explains why they become fiends, but not why they aren't fully fiends." Tidus said.

"Maybe their other half has its own feelings, ya?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like the fiend half is their anger, but the other half is the person's feelings before they became fiends."

"That… could be it, Wakka." Yuna said.

"But what are those feelings?" Tidus said.

"If it's the feelings the _person_ had, it could be anything." Gaia said. "Sadness, guilt, glee…"

Yuna pursed her lips. "So… they're in the middle of turning into a fiend, but they're being held back by their other feelings?"

"Sounds like it." Tidus said. "I gotta wonder though, if they're non-fiend half is keeping them from becoming a full fiend, why do they still attack regular people just like fiends?"

"Maybe they're torn between the two." Wakka said.

"So basically, they come back, they lose control but their other half creates an internal conflict with the fiend half, and that's why they attack the living. They're confused about what to feel more of." Gaia said.

"It's definitely more than we had before." Tidus said. "What I don't get is, how did they get back in the first place?"

There was no answer from Yuna, or any of the others.

"The dead started coming back once the Farplane went haywire, not the other way around, right?" Gaia asked.

"Right." Yuna said.

"So now we just have to figure out why the Farplane started acting up." Gaia said.

"That… I don't know anything about." Tidus said.

Yuna looked out the window to the passing clouds.

"Maybe the Council will have something for us."

Tidus walked down into the cabin, his head throbbing from the heavy amount of thinking he'd been doing, while also running on a few hours of sleep. He was gazing out the back window and admiring the light of day, but he could only watch it for a few seconds before his head started bobbing and he started feeling heavy. His eyelids dropped and he nearly fell back when h _e_ heard the sound of Yuna's steps behind him.

"Tidus?" she said.

"What! Oh, hey." He rubbed his forehead.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "I'm sorry, I know you don't like when I ask you so many times."

"Nah, it's okay." He stretches his arms. "I am a little sleepy."

"How come? You couldn't sleep last night?"

He looked up at the ceiling. "No reason, I just kept waking up, is all."

"Really?" Tidus turned to her. The way her eyes shone on him made him think she wasn't satisfied with his answer.

Tidus sighed. "Okay, you got me. I've been having dreams. Well, nightmares actually. The same one over and over. It's been for a couple days, almost a week. In fact, I think I've been dreaming the same dream for longer than that. Not to sound like a drama queen, but I don't think I can take it anymore."

"What were they about?"

"Well, it's like this: I'm walking, without a care in the world, and the place around me is super dark and I'm looking for you. And then, all of a sudden, boom! The place just explodes for no reason!"

Yuna's eyes lowered. "That _is_ very strange."

"I didn't use to believe dreams meant anything, but after having it several times… I can't help but think it's trying to tell me something."

Yuna stood beside him, her eyes reflecting the white clouds before her.

"Maybe you're worried about something." She concluded.

"Worried about what? We've been doing just fine for the past few weeks. We've been doing fine for a whole year, right?"

"Dreams are a manifestation of our subconscious. Our desires, our fears, our anger. You can have a dream about a deep feeling you weren't even aware you had. You may not know what you're fearing at the moment, but there's no telling that you _don't_ have that fear based on that dream."

"Wow, that is _deep_ , Yuna. But I still don't exactly know what it is I have to fear that has to do with exploding."

"Maybe you're… so full of hot air, you have to keep yourself from blowing up!"

Tidus snorted and playfully pushed Yuna to the side. She laughed at him, but her laugh was different. It was a much less enthusiastic than Tidus was used to, and he started to wonder if she was doing as well as she said, like she worried about him.

Tidus didn't always like visiting Bevelle. He hated the fact that it housed the lies set up by the false traditions, the lies of Yevon's acolytes, and he despised it even more knowing in this present day Yevon's teachings had the same title with different moralities to justify its treachery. When he walked upon the steps of the Palace of St. Bevelle, he was reminded of all four times the guardians fought against Seymour's forces and were held trial for the damage inflicted upon him. He thought of Yuna, standing there helpless in her wedding dress, a doomed look on her face. He remembered when they'd all been betrayed by Yevon, finding out that the believers went against their own teachings. Mostly, he thought about the intense fury he felt within him when he watched Seymour force Yuna to do the things he wanted her to. He didn't care what progressive changes would occur in Bevelle. It didn't change the history before it, and slapping Yevon's name on regular decent beliefs did not sit well with him. It was sickening.

Before they reached the top of the steps, they noticed that there was an impatient crowd circling the palace. They were all murmuring to each other as Yuna and her party arrived. Tidus could hear their conversations about their relatives transforming into monsters. They looked like they had seen much worse things than Tidus and the crew had, and a couple of them were in tears. The people cleared the path for Yuna to walk through. Some of them were begging for her help, but she had other matters to attend to. She told them she would do everything she could, however.

Yuna was met with Kurgum and Chuami at the entrance to the palace.

"Lady Yuna! It's good to see you again!" Kurgum said. "What brings you here today?"

"I… received an urgent message from Chancellor Baralai." Yuna said. "Didn't he send you here to meet with me?"

"Uh… n-not that I know of…" Kurgum said.

"Shall I meet him inside then?" Yuna said.

"Y-yes!" Kurgum said. "Allow me to escort you."

"Should we go too?" Tidus said.

"We're not allowed to let outsiders into the board room." Chuami said.

"I'll be right back." Yuna said, smiling at him.

Yuna started up the steps to the entrance when Chuami called after her.

"Hey, Lady Yuna! Sorry for belittling you and your crew back at Guadosalam. Guess I just got a little carried away with my job."

Yuna nodded to her before heading inside.

Yuna had once believed that the faith were the ones responsible for Tidus's return. They were both convinced that the fayth granted him a second chance at life in exchange for Yuna's efforts to save Spira from Vegnagun and Shuyin's despair. It wasn't long until Yuna had discovered the truth. That she, being a summoner, had acquired an entire new level of power and that she'd conjured Tidus based on the yearning she had for him. Of course, such information had to be revealed after a tragedy occurred. She had to watch Tidus explode after he mistook a blitzball for a bomb, an old piece of technology on an island from the time of its conception. An ancient, wise summoner educated her about the efforts of beckoning a spirit. Her deep connection, her love for him, had awakened her abilities, and Tidus was suddenly back in the real world. However, with such a great power came a great price. Tidus could never know of his true origins, or he would disappear permanently. Thus, she had kept many secrets from him, causing a bit of a freeze in their relationship. She never answered his questions about why he was suddenly feeling like he had no more steam for blitzball, or why he was dreaming about being blown to bits. Even worse for her than keeping things from him was that he was already starting to notice the abmormalities in her behavior. She had hoped he would be just as naive about the truth as he had been during her pilgrimage.

"Are you alright, Lady Yuna?" Kurgum asked.

"Y-yes, sorry I'm a little distracted. It's been quite a trip."

"Would you like to rest before meeting with the Council? I can tell them you need some time…"

"No, it's okay." She said. "I would just like to get this over with."

"I understand, my lady."

"How have things been in Bevelle?"

"It's been quiet. There have been no signs of those hybrid fiends around here."

"Is that so? How is being a sender?"

"I… I know I can do better, but I've been improving on my sending skills. They've sent me to various locations to perform sendings, except anywhere across the sea."

"Are you not too keen on ocean travel?"

Kurgum laughed nervously. "Actually, the chancellor didn't want to send me because he wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it. He didn't say it like that, of course, but I could tell."

"Sending is a hard thing to do, but I know you'll be able to pull through as you keep going along."

Kurgum blushed. "Thank you, my lady."

When they arrived at the board meeting, both were surprised to see that the trio wasn't present. The conference table and chairs looked untouched. Kurgum looked around the room.

"I… I'm afraid they're not here yet. Are… you certain they asked you to come for today?"

"Yes, they called me from Mt. Gagazet and asked our crew to turn around before ending our journey at Djose shore."

"I'm sorry, I've been searching throughout the palace for them all afternoon. It seems they are nowhere to be found." A deep voice called. Kurgum turned to the hooded figure whom appeared out of nowhere in front of the table where the Council held their meeting.

"I… I'm sorry, I thought they…" Yuna said.

"No need for an apology, Lady Yuna. I am here to take their place in this meeting."

"Uh… beg your pardon, sir, but I haven't received any notifications about…" Kurgum started.

The hooded figure showed them a note in Baralai's clean handwriting.

"They've asked me to meet with Lady Yuna. Please, Kurgum, return to your duties and let me handle this meeting."

Kurgum looked as though he was about to protest, but instead turned around and walked back outside. Perhaps he knew better than to go against the chancellor's wishes. Yuna wasn't sure about the chancellor handing off his job to a lower ranked member of the Council, however, and looked at the man with skeptical eyes.

"Please forgive me, Lady Yuna. I've looked everywhere for the Chancellor and he is nowhere in sight today. He'd told me that if he were ever missing in action, I'd be the one to cover for him. I'm his personal assistant."

"Alright…" Yuna slid her hand in her pocket, making sure the tracker was still there.

"Where are my manners?" the hooded sender said. "I am sender Eiren, the right-hand to Chancellor Baralai, and assistant. It is a pleasure to finally meet with you." As he unveiled himself, Yuna recognized the older sender, with a grayed beard and grayed hair. He was intimidating. Yuna stood up straight and cleared her throat.

"I've brought news from Macalania and Mt. Gagazet, sir Eiren." She said.

"Tell me all about it, my lady."

"It would seem that the dead are returning from the Farplane and reuniting with their loved ones, but they are turning into fiends. It doesn't take them too long either. Some of them are transforming as soon as they enter the land of the living. They're not fully transformed fiends, however. They remain half of their normal selves, and half of their monster selves."

"I see." Eiren walked up to the window with his hands behind his back.

"It wasn't known before that those that have returned posed a threat to their living family members, but many of them are turning and causing plenty of harm. I've seen the people outside the palace, and they look as though the fiends have been taking plenty of lives away."

"Do you have an idea as to what brought these fiends back from the Farplane?"

Yuna hesitated before answering. "I… I can only discuss that information when the chancellor returns."

"I've already told you, he's left his duties to his assistant until he comes back."

Yuna turned around. "Y-yes but… it's confidential information that I've been told only to discuss with the Council. Forgive me, but… I must go. I will wait for the chancellor to return."

She headed for the door.

"Lady Yuna, many years ago, I, too, was once a summoner fighting against Sin." Yuna had her hand against the door, but she was caught off guard by his words.

"I lost everything because of Sin. My family, my friends… I became a summoner to avenge them."

Yuna turned to look at the man. He was facing the opposite direction as he spoke.

"As you may have already known, it was a very difficult journey. Sending the dead and knowing the fact that my life was coming closer to ending as I progressed. But I'd come across a glorious revelation."

He turned and walked towards Yuna. "Summoners have been grossly restricted from using their true powers. I found out we had the ability to bring back those we have tragically lost – a wonderful process we know as 'beckoning'."

Yuna's head perked up.

"When I'd reached the Calm Lands, a wise man educated me of this intriguing ability. I had the ability to bring back my family, my friends, the love of my life… everyone I'd lost. Try as I might, however, I couldn't do it. I didn't have the strength. The aeons… they suddenly left my side. I didn't have their power to make this happen. I'd lost my sensitivity to the pyreflies. I ceased my pilgrimage after finding this out."

"The aeons…" Yuna whispered to herself.

"Their energy… it is not for everyone. Beckoning seemed to be an impossibility even with the power of the fayth at hand."

He walked closer. "That was… until _you_ galvanized this amazing power, Lady Yuna."

Yuna was starting to feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry… but I must go-"

"It's what keeps them walking, talking, and rejoicing on Spira. It's what is keeping your lover by your side."

Yuna paused before she got to the door.

"What's taking them so long?" Tidus said.

"If they're discussing Spira affairs, it'll probably be a while." Chuami said.

Wakka turned his head to her. "So, how'd you end up here in Bevelle?"

"Well, see, I-"

"She's a childhood friend of mine. I chose her as my assistant because I trusted her more than anyone." Kurgum said.

Chuami glared at him.

"I thought the Council chose assistants for the senders." Tidus said.

"They do, but-"

"They thought she would have good assets to help me on my sending duties." Kurgum interrupted.

"Kurgum!"

"Sorry… I usually speak for us, so…"

"You the kid of a great and powerful soldier, or something?" Wakka asked.

Chuami looked at the floor. "Something like that."

Gaia was studying the structure of the palace and signed the Yevon prayer, as one often did when facing the building. Well, all except for the ones that dismissed it. Tidus couldn't understand why. And he could understand what was about to come even less.

 _I never thought I'd see my old man after we defeated him with everything we had, but at that moment, when we were standing in front of the palace, everything we learned, everything we thought we knew suddenly unraveled. Maybe I was still dreaming, and I never woke up from that nightmare, but as I stared up at the darkening sky, the pain in my side returning to me, I realized this wasn't anything but a harsh reality._

The entire crowd around the palace looked up in horror. A gigantic figure was hovering over them, darkening the entire palace below. Tidus was in complete and utter shock. He couldn't run, he couldn't move, and he couldn't even think for a second. Shouting and screaming could be heard from the people behind him. Tidus turned slowly towards them, and he saw that every single illusion that had walked beside their loved ones after rising from the dead had fallen over at the sight of Spira's old enemy. They were shaking on the ground and the pyreflies finally revealed themselves from their bodies.

One of these people was Gaia. She was holding her head and screaming in pain, and blood was dripping from her nostril.

"Chuami! Is that…?" Kurgum's voice broke as he spoke.

"SIN!"


	9. The Beginning of the End

**The Beginning of the End**

Yuna felt her heart stop for just a second and she began shaking as the horrid screams from the outside were heard, and she turned to try and open the door, not even bothering to look inconspicuous. The door wouldn't budge; it was barred from the other side. Sweat dripped down her forehead and her damp hands were sliding off the door handle as she frantically tried to pull it open. She could hear his footsteps approaching her.

"That guardian of yours, he was surely a mystery to all of us. Rumors went around that he came here from Zanarkand. Not from the sacred ruins we know, but from an ancient restless city."

His voice was calm, yet sinister. The works of a con artist with powerful magic. Her heart thudded against her chest and she was breathing quick, shallow breaths.

"It was said that he was nothing more than a dream conjured by the fayth, and he'd faded away with the fayth when Sin was defeated. Two years later, he has returned to Spira. He has been brought back from the Farplane with your help, my lady. Upon my realization of that, I began to regain my powers along with hope. Hope that I can at last reunite with the ones I've lost."

"Those people need our help!" Yuna said, and she desperately pulled and tugged at the door. She knew it wasn't an effective way of getting it to open, but she was panicking and didn't have any other option. The sound of a menacing fiend growl could be heard from the other side and she stepped back. She swiftly turned around to face the man.

"Lady Yuna, join me in my quest to help those who've suffered live in peace with the dead." he said as he held out a hand. "Help me reunite them so they can live joyously beside each other. We can create astonishing things with this energy, my lady. Do you not see the value of this gift?"

"Please… we must not do this! Look at what it's done to the people! Their loved ones… they are becoming monsters… and attacking their own family members! It's just not right! We aren't saving them, we are _hurting_ them!" She was practically screaming at him and was too petrified to use her magic.

"Please… I don't want any part of this. It's a danger to everyone, including ourselves. The dead… should remain at rest. Please just… let me go." Yuna pleaded, she wiped the tears from her face and straightened her back.

Eiren took a small vial with the nauseating scent from his cloak, uncapped it, and hid it behind his back.

"I'm sorry, Lady Yuna, but I'm afraid I cannot do so."

Yuna found herself becoming dizzy at the smell of the fumes. Her mind told her to not succumb, and to remain conscious, but eventually, she gave in. Her eyelids lowered, the room became dark, and she fell to the floor.

"It's a pity." Eiren said, walking over to her side. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, but I cannot finish my grand project without your help."

* * *

Tidus was scrambling around the steps of the palace, trying his best to keep himself calm. As Sin floated over Bevelle, thousands of people started to evacuate the vicinity, each one running straight into each other. Wakka knelt beside Gaia as she seemed to be having a seizure. Kurgum and Chuami were almost glued to their positions. They didn't know where to run, nor did they know what to do.

"Where's Yuna?!" Tidus said, his hand tightening around Brotherhood.

"She's still in the palace!" Kurgum said.

"We gotta find her!"

"Wait!" Wakka called after him as Tidus raced to the entrance to the building. He picked up Gaia and slung her body over his shoulder as he followed.

Tidus burst through the doors and stopped when he saw the first fiend at the front of the entrance. It snarled and showed an enormous row of teeth. And it wasn't the only one. As the crew moved fast at eliminating it, more arrived at once. Each fiend was larger and much more difficult than the last. Tidus did not allow that to intimidate him. He was merciless and left each battle with only a few scratches. As he pushed further ahead, something felt extremely off, not only because of the increasing amount of fiends. He could hear multiple voices screaming at once. A distorted, gory scream of pain. He had heard such noises like this once, and he believed he knew the source. Sin was calling to him. Every soul within it was trying to communicate. He yanked his focus back to the targets. After every enemy, the shrieking souls became louder. He wasn't sure why, but he was crying. Tears had just appeared out of nowhere. He felt responsible and guilty, and didn't have the slightest idea why.

An Adamantoise was waiting for them at the entrance to the meeting room. It swung its scaly tail at a dangerously close distance. Wakka tried balancing the woman's body as he put it to sleep while. Tidus didn't wait to make his move, and wished he'd taught himself Armor Break before. It was a tough monster. By the time its sleepiness wore off, the Adamantoise stood on its hind legs and Wakka and Tidus pulled the grenades from their bandoliers. Then it just stopped. Completely froze. It vanquished into pyreflies and a man emerged from the doors with Yuna in his arms.

"Yuna… what did you do to her?!" Tidus demanded.

"There's no need to fuss." He said, a wicked smile upon his face. "She is fast asleep. I've spared her from the horrors of the outside world."

"Let her go!" Wakka said.

"I will do no such thing. She is the key to my progress. The missing piece to my glorious invention. I need her help."

"I don't care about your stupid inventions!" Tidus said. "You let her go right now!"

"Very well then. But… I will not do so without a price." The man used an intangible force to set Yuna floating in the air. He waved his hands dramatically and his eyes started to glow. All of the free pyreflies assembled and created another creature. Tidus recognized the dragon figure with large, spiked wings and its iconic spinning wheel on the back.

 _Bahamut..._

It moved first and used its Mega Flare, sending each of them flying back. They hit against the wall with a harsh _smack_. Gaia came back to consciousness once she was on the ground. She looked around with weary eyes to see flames surrounding them, and was mumbling in confusion. Tidus jumped back onto his feet. He could see pulsing shadows on his eyes and he felt the side of his head where pain erupted. The tips of fingers were red. The flames from Bahamut's attack spread throughout the temple. Debris was already falling from the ceiling. The treacherous man stood amidst it all and shook his head. Tidus stumbled on his feet as he saw that sender try to reclaim Yuna. Tidus snatched a grenade, pulled its pin, and threw it against the man's head. He was stunned when it hit him and was knocked to his knees. Tidus took the opportunity to run and grab Yuna. The man fled from the range of the grenade.

Everyone fled to the exit. Tidus's vision was starting to become cloudy. The sound of Sin's prisoners seemed to not only be affecting his hearing, but also his vision. Chuami and Kurgum were running around, until they saw the others coming out from the temple. Tidus turned to watch Sin attack the entire city. It was shooting bursts of energy at every tall object underneath it, and cutting off everyone's path. It was looking directly at him. It was peering into his soul. In the second it took Tidus to make eye contact with it, the grenade went off in the palace. The building had fallen apart in a short amount of time. When it happened, he experienced another dream, or perhaps a memory. A flashback on the ancient version of Besaid popped into his head. At least, that's what he perceived it to be, because it wasn't the Besaid he knew. It was right after being shipwrecked with Yuna on the _S.S Ace_. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did. Tidus saw an object resembling a blitzball, he stared at it, and involuntarily kicked it. It exploded and he felt his body being torn apart. White stars covered his eyes. The last thing he saw before reverting back to the present was Yuna in the distance on the island shore. She'd witnessed his death and fell to the ground.

Sin changed course and headed straight, but Tidus couldn't pull himself up from the ground. His legs were shaking and he couldn't carry the weight of his own body, let alone his and Yuna's.

"It's coming for us!" Gaia yelled.

"What do we do?!" Kurgum yelled.

Tidus was holding Yuna and trying to keep his nerve after what he'd just felt. They were fortunate enough that _Kelvin_ showed up behind them.

"Come on!" Rikku called to them through the open door.

Wakka and Gaia jumped in first, followed by Kurgum and Chuami. Sin had sent a violent attack their way. Tidus jumped with Yuna in his arms but the pulse of Sin's gravity attack pushed him. He grabbed onto the railing and held on tight as the airship launched up high. He tightened his arm around Yuna's waist.

"Hold on, Yuna… I got you. I got…" he felt his grip slipping from the railing.

He heard a voice. Not the same as the screaming dead trapped within Sin's interior, but a rough voice calling to him.

 _Dad?_

The door was closing as the ship took off and Tidus used an extra amount of strength to swing his body and Yuna's into the closing door.

"Everybody on board?" Rikku called.

Tidus laid Yuna on the seats and collapsed. Gaia was holding her stomach in pain. Rikku put the ship on autopilot and grabbed a first aid kit from the overhead compartment. She pulled out some more of her Al Bhed potions and gauze.

"Here, put this on your wounds." Rikku handed them the gauze.

"What… what the hell was that?" Tidus said, panting. Everyone turned to him. He clenched his fists in rage and more of his blood dripped from his head.

"You're bleeding!" Rikku said.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" he screamed, startling everyone else. Wakka carefully stepped towards him.

"Okay, just… calm down…" he said.

"FUCK I'M NOT GONNA CALM DOWN!" Tidus stood up and almost fell backwards. "DID YOU JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?! SIN IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!" He repeated his last statement over and over quietly to himself as he sank to the floor. Rikku's hands clasped over her mouth and Wakka was speechless. Yuna stirred and opened her eyes.

"What… what happened?" she asked.

Everyone was silent.

"Yuna…" Tidus stared at the floor as tears fell from his face. "Please tell me… what's going on…"

"W-what?"

"Somebody… tell me what's going on!"

"Tidus…"

"We're all in shock, Tidus, but you need to tone it down if you want to get anywhere." Chuami said to him in a broken voice. Even she was shaken.

Tidus got on his feet. "What do you know?!"

"Hey, man, just think about it, ya? Yelling at everybody's not gonna do any good."

Tidus gave them a confused look, wiping the blood on the side of his head. He backed away slowly from the flight deck.

"You… you all know something I don't… do you?" Yuna's body was trembling as she took a few steps away from him.

Tidus started to chuckle. Then his chuckle went to a laugh, and then a maniacal roar.

"So that's it! I knew you all were hiding something from me. You don't want me to find out the truth, do you? The truth that all this started because of me! Now it all makes sense! Now I know why I heard my dad calling me! He was trying to tell me this is all my fault! And that I needed to be punished for this!" He was laughing with tears falling down his face. Yuna sat on her knees, unable to tell him anything else. Tidus stumbled towards her and clumsily knelt in front of her.

"Yuna… I thank you. You're the one that made me realize this. Now I have to repent for _my_ sins. It's time that we all did."

"Hey, now… enough with the crazy talk…" Wakka stepped forward in concern.

"You've enlightened me, Yuna. I've even found out something else about myself today. I'm dead! Hah! I kicked a bomb, and I got blown to bits! I shouldn't be here! None of us should! How the hell am I here when I'm not supposed to be?!"

Before Yuna could say or do anything, the airship began to shake. Rikku looked out the window and Sin reared its head in front of the airship's course. Sin was pushing its body against the ship. The crew was thrown back from the impact.

"Sin?!" Yuna said.

"Watch out!" Rikku ran towards the back of the ship as Sin smashed a hole in the window. Glass went flying towards them.

The airship tilted and each of them held on tightly. Tidus reached for Yuna's hand but he missed and her back hit against one of the chairs. Alarms went off in the airship and it plummeted straight into the ocean.

"What do we do?!" Gaia said.

Rikku crawled towards the storage container and pulled out some parachutes.

"Put these on!" She gave out as much as she could. She slid her body over to the controls and pushed a combination of buttons. The door opened.

"Jump! It'll be alright!"

"WHAT?!"

"Just use those parachutes! Pull the left string and then the right!" Rikku didn't hesitate to leap off the airship. Sin smashed against the airship and prepared another energy burst. Wakka and Gaia nodded to each other before jumping off the ship. Kurgum put on his parachute and left with Chuami. Tidus picked up Yuna and barely made it out the open door while Sin destroyed the ship. Tidus pulled the chords and the parachute jerked them higher in the air. Debris was falling all around them. A piece of the ship pierced a hole in the parachute and sent them falling faster. Yuna could see the ocean underneath them as they came closer.

"We're heading straight for the sea!" Yuna said. She turned her head to him and saw a blank expression on his face.

"Tidus!"

He didn't respond. He didn't move differently. Yuna held onto them tightly as they were submerged under the water. She used all of her strength to drag Tidus out before the debris could hurt him. The parachute connected to him was making it very difficult. She struggled to unstrap him just as a piece of the ship's engine got tangled with the strings. Yuna pulled the petrified Tidus to the surface of the water and tried to snap him awake.

"Tidus! Please!" He stared at her, his face pale as his head continued bleeding. Yuna took a piece of cloth from her clothes and used it to dress his wound. She looked around to see where the others landed.

"Come on, we have to find the rest." Yuna was draggin Tidus as she swam across the blue horizon. She wasn't the best swimmer and his lack of effort made it difficult to get very far. Her legs were growing tired and she struggled to maintain above the surface. The blistering sun didn't make it any easier. When she couldn't feel like she could go any further, she took a break. She was frustrated at him.

"Tidus…" she said, panting. "I need your help…" He wasn't even doing anything to hold himself up. Yuna had to pull his heavy weight up while she furiously kicked her legs. She was out of luck, because when she looked, she could see the small but fatal aquatic monsters circling around them. She couldn't have escaped anywhere.

"Tidus! Snap out of it, please!" He didn't budge.

They both sank below the water helplessly. Yuna was gazing into his lifeless eyes as he delved further into the abyss. She reached out to him but he was sinking lower away from her grasp. The monsters were ready to attack. She winced.

Wakka's blitzball appeared out of nowhere. Quick as a wink, the water fiends were gone. Wakka saw that Tidus was sinking down further and went to retrieve him.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"I don't know, he stopped responding to me. He won't even swim. He won't do anything."

Wakka turned his head. "Let's head that way. The gulls are flying from that direction."

The three of them made their way towards the seagulls. Yuna could recognize those sandy shores with the cactus anywhere. It was Bikanel Island. Wakka pulled Tidus's body onto the shore and laid him down.

Yuna knelt next to him. "Tidus… I'm sorry…"

He blinked before finally responded. "Why didn't you tell me about that? The fact that I exploded on that island?" His voice was strained, and it hurt Yuna to listen. She felt like there was no worse person than herself.

"I-I just couldn't…"

"Why _not_?"

"It's too hard to say…"

Tidus sat up and looked at her. "You don't trust me, is that what it is?" Wakka turned around and walked away from the conversation.

"No! That's not it at all!"

"Then why can't you just tell me the truth? Why do you have to always hide things from me?"

"I don't! I'm not trying to hide it… I just…"

Tidus stood up and slammed his fists at his side in anger. Yuna was ready to follow him.

"I… I was finally happy. Being reunited with you, being with our friends, and just… seeing Spira again. It was great. It couldn't have gotten any better than that. But… now looking back… I should've realized things weren't as perfect as they seemed. I wasn't as good at doing what I love, I couldn't talk to you about what went on in your life… on top of that, I haven't felt 100% in a long time. It feels like the more I stay here, the more I deteriorate."

Yuna felt her eyes starting to fill up with water. She hated herself for not telling him the truth. He was her whole world. The person she went to for comfort, the person who's shoulder she'd cried on. She wished she could've showed him how much she missed him during the two years that he was away. Instead, she was caught up in these obligations that kept her from being truly happy with him. She couldn't even tell him about the things she did during the day. It sickened her.

"I wanted to be with you, Yuna. More than anything else in the world. That feeling I had when I jumped off that airship… I never wanted to feel it again. I would've been happier being oblivious to what I actually am, and just… living out life. But… when I put it together – the dreams, the pain, the downgrade on my game… it just seems as though I just don't fit your world. I don't belong here."

"Don't say that…" Yuna said.

"Look around you, Yuna. Look what's happened since I got back here. People are walking on Spira and turning into fiends in front of their family members. More people are suffering, and being killed. And now? Sin. Everything you worked so hard for. Everything you almost died for. It's unraveling."

"It's not because of you."

"Then what is it, Yuna? Why are all these things happening? Can you at least tell me that?"

"I…" Yuna hung her head.

"Right. Exactly what I was thinking."

Tidus started walking the opposite direction of her. Yuna was about to follow him, but he stopped in his tracks.

"Sorry, Yuna. I just need to be alone." She watched as he traveled by himself, hoping that eventually he will come running back to her.


	10. Trouble in Paradise

**Trouble in Paradise**

Yuna was hurt, despite knowing that she didn't have any real reason to be. Everything Tidus confronted her about was true. She _had_ been keeping a multitude of things from him. She'd avoided the topics for as long as she could, even after her behavior had shifted and Tidus took notice. She had felt comfortable pretending that not a single thing in this world was out of place, and for that, she felt ashamed. He had every right to know. Yuna told herself this. But on the other hand, she believed the better option was to keep him in the dark. It wasn't only an effort on her part, but on everyone else's. That made her feel even worse. The fact that she'd made her loyal companions play along with it. All of them banded together and agreed that the facts would be swept under the rug, regardless of Tidus poking around. Yuna wished she could have remained oblivious to the effects of bringing him back.

She hoped that he would continue to be.

"Wakka! Yuna!" Rikku called as she ran to them.

"Rikku!" She squeezed them both.

"Where's everyone else?" She had disregarded all of her wounds as if they weren't there, or that she felt no pain from them.

"Not here yet." Yuna told her.

Rikku turned her head to try and find the blonde blitzer, but he had already wandered off on his own. "How's… how's he doing?"

Yuna sighed and shook her head. She didn't know, and she was too afraid of how he would react if she asked. Wakka scratched the back of his head, not being able to tell Rikku anything either.

"Should we wait here for the rest?" Rikku asked.

"Yeah, hopefully they can see the birds flying from here, ya?"

An hour later, Kurgum and Chuami dragged themselves onto the shore. Chuami was carrying the defeated Kurgum in her arms and tossed him into the sand. He fell straight onto his face.

"Well… that did not go as planned." Chuami said, a hand on her hip. She, too, was ignoring the cuts on her arms and legs.

Kurgum had to spit the sand out of his system and coughed up a small amount of seawater.

"Thanks for the hand, Chuami…"

"Are you alright, Kurgum?" Yuna asked. He stood up and brushed himself off.

"Oh, y-yes I'm alright, Lady Yuna." He brushed the sand off his hair and winced when he felt the back of his head. A small amount of red liquid appeared on the tips of his fingers. At the sight of his own blood, Kurgum looked as though he were about to faint.

"Here." Yuna tore another piece of her clothing off and wrapped his head wound in it. Kurgum blushed heavily.

"Thank you, Lady Yuna…"

Yuna looked into his hazel eyes and smiled. A sincere, warm smile. She didn't notice it at first but when she was only a few inches away from his face, she saw freckles sprinkled across his nose and cheeks. She admired them.

"I-If it's alright with you… you could just call me 'Yuna'." Kurgum shifted his eyes from her as the red hue across his face became deeper.

Rikku and Wakka shared a look.

"Well thanks for your concern about me." Chuami said.

It had taken some time, but eventually Gaia managed to pull herself up onto the shore. She was sputtering saltwater and saved enough strength to crawl onto the ground. With the rest of her strength, she was holding onto her bow and quiver.

"Are you okay?" Rikku asked her.

Gaia's fists were clenched tight enough that her knuckles were lighter than the rest of her hands. She was breathing heavily and refused to make eye contact with the blonde-haired girl. She was infuriated. There was a large gash on her shin that didn't seem to bother her. She stumbled as she stood up on shaky legs and nearly fell back onto the ground. Rikku walked over to her side and held her arms out to stop her from falling.

"Uh… do you want some help with…?" she asked.

"No!"

Rikku stepped back, a bit stunned.

"Are… are you okay?" she asked.

"Is that what you say to someone that just found out they're dead?!"

Rikku didn't know how to answer her and stood back as Gaia began pacing back and forth in anger.

"I should've known. I shouldn't have come here. You said that you all managed to kill Sin without the Final Aeon. But there it was. Right in front of us. I've seen some pretty horrible stuff in my lifetime, but… those fiends with their human-like qualities and their veins and… flesh. Everything is going wrong… and you know why? It's because we decided to listen to a stupid Al Bhed!"

Everyone looked at her.

"The Al Bhed are always at fault for this! You and your stupid machina!"

"You're wrong!" Rikku said.

Gaia stomped right up to her, causing her to step backwards.

"You Al Bhed never listened to Yevon! And now?! Half human fiends that kill their own family members exist only to make more fiends! Sin came back before ten years! It's all your damn fault! We should've never used your stupid airship and they never should've let you bring your evil machina into people's lives! Killing Sin without the Final Aeon must've been _your_ bullshit, stupid idea! Sin wasn't trying to kill us, it was trying to kill _you_! Because you and the Al Bhed deserve it!" She was yelling straight into Rikku's face and her harsh tone sent tears flowing down Rikku's eyes.

Wakka intervened. "Hey!"

"What?!"

"Leave her alone! She had nothing to do with this, ya? That goes for all the Al Bhed. We found out when we set out to defeat Sin that Yevon's teachings was just a bunch of lies. Lies to keep people in power. Rikku helped us out a lot, ya? She's a good person. Whatever's going on with Sin doesn't involve her."

Gaia growled and stormed off into the island to think. Rikku was wiping tears from her face. She wasn't one to cry, after an entire childhood of being loudly lectured by her father. But the fact that she had to watch Sin take more lives after everything they'd experienced, and having to hear those cursed anti-Al Bhed words after finally being accepted, made it happen.

"Hey…" Wakka put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Don't worry about her, okay? She had no right to say those things to you, ya? You don't deserve any of this. Nobody does. She's just blowing off steam, probably."

She nodded and tried her best to keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes.

"Listen, I'll talk to her later when she's cooled down some, ya? Don't feel bad about it. It's not your fault, Rikku. We'll figure out what's going on, right?" He turned his head to Yuna, who nodded to him.

Rikku leaned into his chest and he wrapped an arm around her. She could remember what Wakka had said to her after the destruction of Home, something he had continuously apologized for. And she was grateful he had done so.

"At least you're still nice." she mumbled to him.

* * *

Dusk had approached and without anywhere else to go, Yuna decided that she and her party would camp there. The desert was peaceful, without strong wings and violet desert storms. Rikku and Wakka went to hunt for firewood. She warned each of them that even though it was scorching hot during the day, Bikanel would often become very cold some nights. While they'd been setting up for camp, Yuna was trying her best to get Tidus's attention, by either accidentally bumping into him, or being directly in front of him when he went to pick up the pieces of bark for the fire. He wasn't speaking to her, nor was he even making eye contact. Yuna knew how she'd made him feel, but she wanted him to give her the opportunity to explain herself. Though her justifications might've come off as excuses. When Yuna tried talking to him, he walked off into the distance without acknowledging her.

"Give him some time, ya?" Wakka told her as he noticed the tension between them. "He'll come around. I'm sure of it."

"I hope you're right." Yuna said.

By the time nightfall came, the crew was gathered around a roaring fire. The air was chilly, but there weren't any winds. Everyone was confused, angry, and terrified of what was to come of this. Sin had just returned. All of the things they sacrificed, the things they rejected, the things they believed truly had been in vain. The defeat of Sin was meant to be a conclusion to it. It's existence had only complicated their stories and each of them began to question their motives. Was it right of them to discard a thousand-year-old tradition? Were the precepts the true meaning of exorcising Sin? Yuna said that she would fight her sorrow without false hope, but perhaps that had been what it was the entire time. As much as she hated to think of it that way, after what she'd witnessed in Bevelle, that was the most likely option.

Tidus sat opposite across the area from Yuna. He didn't lift his head up to look at her. He just continued staring into the fire as if it had all the answers.

"So… are we going to talk about it?" Chuami said.

"What's there to talk about?" Rikku said.

"Uh… Sin? The impending doom ahead of us?" her tone sounded impatient. "Did you all not just see that monstrosity appearing out of nowhere?"

"What do you want us to do?" Wakka said.

"I don't know, come up with a plan to save Spira and our own skin!"

"What kind of plan are you suggesting?" Rikku asked her.

"You guys fought Sin once, right? You guys know more than anyone else in Spira about how to kill it, so why can't you come up with a new plan? Maybe try to attack it from the inside again?"

The former guardians fell silent. Yuna's eyes were focused on the embers that emerged from the fire.

"Lady Yuna, what should we do now?" Kurgum asked. His voice was light and hopeful compared to his companion's.

Yuna thought about his question. Defeating Sin was difficult the first time, and they've used a technique that was never mentioned in the teachings, or in any summoner's quest. And it wasn't enough to keep Sin completely out of Spira's destiny. In a hasty decision, Yuna realized she didn't want any part of it. She'd worked hard saving Spira to bring someone she adored back into existence. Now, even that was starting to fall apart. Perhaps it was a sign.

"I want… to go home…" she said weakly.

"W-what?" Kurgum responded.

"You can't be serious." Chuami said.

"Hey, hey." Wakka said.

"I don't want to take part in this fight. This is a job for the Spira Council. I'm sorry, but I've traveled and journeyed long enough to know that some things are not worth fighting against. If our efforts to destroy Sin failed to keep it in its place, then what makes you think any plan we have is going to work? No, I want us to return to Besaid. You two should go back to your duties and let the Council fix the problem."

"Lady Yuna…" Kurgum said.

"You do realize we don't have a Council to go back to, right? St. Bevelle was decimated because these guys had the bright idea to blow it up." Chuami said.

"They were trying to save Yuna!" Rikku protested.

"It wasn't their fault. The Council shouldn't

have dangerous senders with malicious intentions in their court in the first place!" Yuna retorted.

"What are you talking about?" Chuami asked.

"It doesn't matter anymore. As soon as morning comes, we will be on our way back to Besaid. If you would like to come with us, you're more than welcome to."

Chuami looked at Wakka. "Are you really just going to let this happen?"

Wakka sat up straight. "If Yuna says she wants to go back home, then we're going to support her. Besides, she's right about this being the Council's problem. Those guys shouldn't be putting their jobs on other people anyways, ya?"

"Give me a break!" Chuami said.

Tidus clenched his fists tightly. He stood up, didn't say a single word to any of them, and turned to walk off into the endless sandy desert. They watched him go without attempting to stop him. Yuna wanted to walk along his side, but she figured the reason he left was because of what she just said. She was ashamed of it herself.

* * *

 _I know I was going to regret leaving, but I couldn't stand hearing Yuna deciding to give up like she did. This wasn't the Yuna I knew. I always remembered her as someone who'd never step down from something so important to her. Defeating Sin was something she devoted so much to. It wasn't just something she had to do. It was something she_ wanted _to do. She'd changed so much. Maybe it was because of me._

Tidus meandered along the smooth sand, listening to the desert animals call and gazing up at the countless number of stars. It was the first time he'd been able to roam around the island without worrying about being attacked by fiends. On any other night, he would have appreciated every little thing on this island. The sounds, the chilly air, even those Cactuars. At the time when he'd received his second chance at life, he knew everything around him was different. Of course it was, he told himself. He didn't expect, in his two years of absence, things would stay the same. Though it seemed as though everyone except him had done so. People stopped following the teachings of Yevon, Wakka had a child, Yuna went on an adventure around Spira and met new people, and even Rikku shifted to being more serious in her line of work. Tidus argues with himself that he _had_ changed, but all he could see in his change was the fact that he was rusty in his own passion. Yuna had been caught up in her duties as high summoner, and had less time for him than he would have liked, but he didn't allow that to bother him. Because regardless of what happened, the times they spent together were as if the shift was nonexistent. It felt as though they were the exact same people from before. After spending time with her on this journey, however, he was starting to see someone he barely knew. This Yuna was keeping things from him. She was less trusting in him. The more drastic change was that she was less willing to help those she would have given her life for. And he didn't like it.

It had taken some time for him to realize, but Tidus wanted things to be as they had been before. At least, he wished he could've stayed with his friends on Spira so that he could've shaped himself along with the change. He figured things might have gone differently if that happened.

When he realized how far he'd walked, he noticed that he couldn't see the glow of the campfire anymore. He sat down on the ground and sighed heavily. A dangerous thought occurred in his mind about what Yuna said about fighting against Sin being pointless. An even worse idea overwhelmed him: what if Yunalesca, and the temples of Yevon were right all along?

Tidus looked at the sky, wishing he had someone, or something to turn to.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

One of the stars glowed about ten times brighter than the rest. It was moving in a linear direction north from were he sat. Tidus mistook it for a shooting star, but it was emitting colorful rays, and seemed closer to the world than the actual stars. If he focused his hearing, he could have heard ghostly moaning. Tidus stood up in curiosity, and he followed the path of the "star".

* * *

Yuna was starting to worry after Tidus hadn't returned for a long while. At the same time, the effects of being shock were wearing off, and she was irritated, tired, and sore.

"You okay?" Wakka asked her.

"I don't know. I'm sure I will be, eventually. But for right now, I'm just all over the place. I know I can't just sit here and leave the world in the state it is but… I just don't think I can do this anymore." She hugged her knees close to her chest.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We all did what we could back then, ya? And now it's about us getting by." He stretched out his own aching legs in front of him. "Best not to let it get to our heads."

"You're right."

"Why don't you get some rest? We'll figure it all out tomorrow."

Yuna gave him a half smile. "Thank you, Wakka."

Yuna laid on the grainy sand and closed her eyes as she tried to put herself and the day to bed. Wakka stood up and was about to take his own trip to clear his head, but he noticed Gaia sitting far away from the crew by herself. She had been avoiding them this whole time. Wakka figured she was lonely and went over to her.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?"

She just shrugged.

"Feeling better yet?"

"What's there to feel better about?" she answered.

"You're still here, in one piece, ya?"

"Yeah, for how long?"

He sat down on the sand, relieved it was no longer scorching hot. Compared to earlier during the day, the sand felt much nicer. It was almost relaxing.

"I… I knew something was weird about being here. The fact that I couldn't remember anything, all those strange flashbacks I had. But… the last thing I could ever figure was being dead. I didn't _feel_ dead. The feeling I had when I realized it… it was horrible. I just felt myself being pulled back to the Farplane." She shuddered. "Or wherever it was I came from. I'm not actually sure."

"Sorry you had to go through that."

"That's not even the worst part. I had another vision." She looked up at the night sky. "Or I guess you'd call it another memory. Before blacking out… I saw Sin. Sin was the last thing I saw before I died. But… I also _heard_ things."

Wakka turned his head to her.

"I heard… screaming and crying. I don't know who they were, but… they sounded like children." Her voice sounded different. "There were children screaming when Sin came. They were… calling me."

"Do you remember who they were?" Wakka asked.

Gaia shook her head. "Only that they were telling me to come back home with them. I… tried to attack Sin with my bow but…"

Wakka sighed softly. He knew how this ended. How it usually ended, that was.

She laid her back down on the sand. "I… I didn't mean to say those things to Rikku. You know, I never really confirmed myself as a Yevonite before, and I never really wanted to believe in Yevon's teachings but… better safe than sorry, no?"

Wakka did the same, and the sand felt relaxing against his scratched backside. "That's the way I used to think, ya? I was cruel to her, and the Al Bhed. That was until we found out about Yevon's true face. I still sometimes think about the teachings and respect people that believe in Yevon, though."

"The Al Bhed made me uncomfortable for a long time. I didn't want to upset, or disrespect Yevon by using their machina, even though I didn't really care for the teachings. Everyone around me believed so strongly in Yevon, and were so sure that it was the rightful way of thinking that I couldn't reveal myself as being somewhat in between. It felt like a sin in itself."

"I feel that."

She put her hands behind her head.

"Sin… our old enemy. Why is it still here? Why can't we just live in peace for once? Why does there always have to be a conflict like this?"

"I don't know, Gaia. I really don't."

"Well… I guess there's nothing we can really do about it now…"

Wakka felt guilty for sounding like he was also ready to give up as he gazed at the sky and felt like he was staring into the edge of the universe. He exhaled heavily, like he'd been holding his breath the entire time. The sky was full of twinkling lights, millions and millions in one small group. The only time he'd seen a night sky like this was back on Besaid. The thought was brought back with such a yearning feeling, and a sudden realization on why he wanted to quit and return home as soon as he could.

"Hey, Wakka." Gaia said.

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask about your thoughts?"

He turned his head toward her. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Well… everyone's been losing their minds, and freaking out over everything, but not you. You're the only calm one here, and you were the one that saw Sin bite the dust the first time."

Wakka thought about it. "Well… let's just say I got something else on my mind, ya?"

"Are you feeling homesick?"

"Kinda."

"You miss your family?"

"Yeah… haven't stopping thinking about them since I left."

"We're all returning to your home tomorrow, right?"

He sighed. "If we can find a way outta here."

Gaia noticed the sudden shift of tone in his voice. "Is that all?"

He didn't always like talking of his internal conflicts, as he worried people might think less of him if he did so. But there wasn't any reason to worry about that, he figured, because it had been a strange night for all of them.

"You know, I kinda thought going on this adventure would be good for me, ya? After becoming a parent, I knew I had one main priority, end of story. My son, Vidina, is the most important thing to me. Lulu is too, but she always told me she could take care of herself. But now… I kinda wish I never went on this trip."

"Lulu said it would be important to Yuna, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did. She said Yuna trusts us more than anyone else in the world."

"So what's the issue?"

Wakka turned on his side.

"Lulu… she probably thinks I walked out on them…"

"But… you didn't. You were just going to go on this mission and come back to them."

"It's taking us way longer than we expected, ya?"

"That's not your fault. It not any of ours."

"But the longer I'm away, the more Lulu thinks I'm trying to 'avoid my responsibility'."

"How do you figure that?"

"There's still things I want to do, while I got the chance, ya? I traveled Spira a couple times, and I played blitzball for years. I'd like to do that stuff again but... then I remember, I got a kid now. I can't be spending my time reliving those days, ya? That's what Lulu keeps telling me. She looks down on it anytime I talk to her about the past. It's hard though. Life was way different years ago, and I'm still trying to get my stuff together. I worry about being a good father to Vidina, and it's been a year since we got him. I... feel like sometimes Lulu thinks I want to go back to how it was before, but... I don't. I stress about being there for Vidina, guiding him through life, and I keep trying to show Lulu how much I care about him. I wanna be someone he can look up to, and rely on."

She pondered it. "Well, the way I see it, just the fact that you're stressed about it and worrying about what he'll think of you tells me you're on the right track. I mean, you're in his life, you want to share your history with him, and you care about his wellbeing."

Wakka gave her a small grin. "Thanks, I just wish I could prove it to her."

"She's lost people too, hasn't she?"

"Yeah."

"Well, take it from me. Some people have trouble communicating with words and instead choose their emotions. I can see Lulu has a lot of pride, and tries very hard to be strong whenever she feels something. I bet she's worried about losing you too, even though she won't say it. She… talks a lot about you, and she sure sounds frustrated when she does, don't get me wrong. But I can see that underneath it all, she cares a lot about you. Maybe she's just afraid."

Wakka sighed. "But... I don't think she gets that I'm not going anywhere. I just... wanna go back home so I can keep them safe from what's about to come. I shouldn't be flying, or sailing through Spira and being away from them anyways, ya? That's where I belong. That's where I should be."

"Well, when we go back tomorrow, you can compromise with her. Talk to her about how you feel. Communication is key. And don't think that you going on this mission as a favor to Yuna is you abandoning your son. You know, people have done a lot worse to their kids."

Wakka pondered the idea. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

She was silent before she added one last thing. "You know, you're a good man."

He lowered his gaze. "Thanks."

They walked back to the camp, where Yuna and Rikku were tossing and turning restlessly on the ground. Chuami and Kurgum didn't have much luck finding sleep either. Yuna opened her eyes after a while and looked up at Wakka.

"Have you seen him anywhere?" she asked.

"No, he's still out there." Wakka said. "Do you want me to go check on him?"

"No… that's okay. We should leave him be for right now." She attempted to drift off into slumber again.

Neither of them wanted to think about the things that could be lurking in this large, abandoned island with plenty of dead buried deep underground along with people's memories of them.


	11. DivineIntervention

**Divine Intervention**

With the moon as his only source of light, Tidus continued along the path. The glowing orb had slowed down some, as if it was waiting for him. The chilly air sent goosebumps along his skin. He passed by a couple of cacti, where he remembered to pinpoint when he started heading back to camp. The orb had led him to where the moon shone down on half-buried ruins.

 _Is this… Home?_ Tidus asked himself. The orb circled around the ruins and he assumed that he was supposed to inspect them. Tidus slid down the steep, sandy hill and made his way to look at the damaged pieces of the Al Bhed creation. He thought he was seeing their alphabet on a couple of them, but it was impossible to tell because of the cracks and breaks in between. He wondered why the ruins were still visible when most things lost in Bikanel become covered with sand. Then again, some things that were buried could've eventually become un-buried with the violent sand storms. The glowing orb burst into smaller twinkling lights. They were pyreflies, no doubt, but something about them was off. He saw them come together to form something, but it wasn't an easily distinguishable thing. As he walked closer, he saw that the small pyreflies were focused around the corpses laying on the ground. He cringed at the lifeless forms.

At first, he assumed they were the fallen Al Bhed that crossed the Farplane and, for whatever reason, have come back to claim the home they'd lost. But as Tidus gaped at their bodies a little longer, he could feel his nerves rising. These corpses were no ordinary dead. He could hear faint humming as he observed each of the bodies. He recognized the one woman, who became Anima, laying in the sand. Seymour's mother, who'd defied against him and helped the guardians defeat him. Her hand was clutched tightly to her chest.

"Why are you all here?" Tidus whispered, despite knowing he didn't have to. The humming ceased. He recognized the young boy with dark skin and a purple hood; the one he believed he owed a great debt to. Tidus leaned closer towards him and startled as the boy tried to stand. He was holding his side and winced in pain, all while Tidus was still trying to figure out if it was real. The boy's lips were moving but Tidus couldn't make out what he said. Then the ambience around him became inaudible. The high-pitched ringing in his ears returned, and he could only make out a few words the dragon child spoke to him.

"H-help… us…"

It only took one split second and a blink before it all disappeared. The fayth were gone, the pyreflies were gone, and he was left in a state of confusion. The ringing in his ears, the fayth appearing on this isolated piece of land. It only made less sense with each step. However, the ringing in his ears suddenly felt less foreign. He remembered vaguely that he heard it from an entire lifetime before; it was when Sin absorbed him. When he died, or rather, relived the events of his death. He heard it when he joined Braska, Jecht and Auron, and if he were to die again, right then and now, and cross to the ethereal plane, he would hear it again. He would keep hearing it for as long as he lived. Shaken, Tidus turned around and made his way back to the camp. He took a few steps on trembling legs. Then he quickened his pace.

Then he was running.

Wakka was still laying against the cool sand, staring up at the brilliant sky, while also listening out for pests. The scene where he spoke of these subdued feelings with this new friend played on repeat in his mind. Wakka loved Lulu and Vidina more than anything, and he often overwhelmed himself trying to show it to her. He did what he could to please her, even if it meant making a few more compromises on his part. But he still wondered if it was enough. She would often keep to herself and sometimes, it drove him completely mad. He never knew what was truly troubling her whenever she became irritated with him, and he desperately wanted to find out in order to modify his habits. At times when he was feeling particularly insecure about himself, he'd think of Vidina, and the warmest feeling he had in his heart when Vidina's face lit up as he saw his father. The approval Wakka often struggled to gain with others was already present in the boy's eyes since the moment he held him. There couldn't have been anything else in the world that gave him a better feeling.

He heard something approaching the camp and grabbed his weapon. Only to see that it was just Tidus. He got up and went over to the dazed blonde.

"Hey, where'd you go? Are you okay?" Wakka asked him.

Tidus couldn't speak. Sweat was dripping from his face; all of the color drained from his face.

"What's wrong, man?" Wakka said, studying the blonde's features. "You look like you just saw a ghost, ya?"

Tidus stared at him for a second before bending over and releasing bile on the sand.

Wakka was helping Tidus stand up on his legs as he walked the blonde to the nearby oasis. Tidus was holding his stomach and moaning in pain. He either felt the nausea from the rush of anxiety that washed over him, or was just dehydrated. He didn't know. It was just the one out of many things he didn't understand.

"Don't drink too fast. It'll make you feel worse, ya?"

Tidus knelt down and dipped his head under the water. He kept his head under the water for a while, hoping it would shake him awake. It only made his lungs nearly burst and he threw his head back as he coughed violently.

"Damn…" he said, wiping his mouth. "T-that water tastes all sandy…"

Wakka laughed. "It's the only water we got around here, brother. Where've ya been? We were all worried about you."

Tidus blinked. "I uh... I just went for a walk."

"You sure?" Wakka sat back beside the blonde. "You definitely looked like you saw something you shouldn't've when you came running back here."

Tidus wiped the water off his face and some of the sand that gathered on his forehead. He didn't know where he would begin with it all.

"Uh… I guess you could say that…" he mumbled.

"Well? What was it?"

Tidus scoffed. "Yeah right, like you'll believe anything _I_ say."

"Dude, we just saw Sin, and nasty-lookin' half-human mutants. I think at this point, I could believe anything, ya?"

Tidus looked at his friend and understood him. He sighed and crossed his legs.

"I saw… something. I can't figure out what it was, but… it felt like something was somehow... trying to send me a message."

"Oh?"

"It wasn't just something. The fayth… they were there. They just appeared right in front of me. I could hear them humming the hymn, like they did before. Then, the one fayth from Bevelle, Bahamut's… he was begging me to help him."

"Hmm…" Wakka lowered his gaze.

"I think they're in trouble. Someone must be using them again, but… I didn't realize using them could actually hurt them."

"Yeah, me either."

Tidus straightened his back. "They just appeared for a split second, and then they just… went away. It felt like it was all in my head."

"You sure it wasn't?"

"I don't know. But… it didn't feel like it was all in my head. I heard that awful noise in my ears. The one I heard when I… had those dreams."

Wakka looked at him, his brows furrowed.

Tidus was silent. He really didn't want to acknowledge the nightmare's existence. That would've made it real, he figured. Wakka could tell him that it was crazy talk, and Tidus should already know he was real.

"I… went on that trip with Yuna. When we took the _S.S Ace_ out, we got shipwrecked and… a whole lot of things happened. Mainly though… I saw this thing. It looked like a blitzball, but… when I kicked it, it exploded. And so did I…"

Wakka didn't tell him that it was the kind of nonsense coming from the mind of a lunatic. And he was focused on the space in front of him. It only made Tidus feel worse.

"So… I guess, I'm dead, but… I keep wondering, why am I still here? I can't just be here on accident, right?"

Wakka shrugged. "Right, but… you'd remember if you were an unsent, ya? Sir Auron, Maester Mika, Maester Seymour… they all knew they were unsent. You sure it wasn't just a bad toxic dream?"

Tidus sat up abruptly. "Positive! For days, I couldn't sleep because I kept having those ungodly nightmares, and… when I brought it up, Yuna kind of brushed it off as me having all this paranoia over nothing. But… I felt things that you don't normally feel with regular dreams. And, I remembered what it felt like to be blown up." His fingers dig into the sand below him. "I could still feel my limbs being ripped off me..."

Wakka exhaled heavily, and Tidus thought he heard the sound of his hands gripping the fabric of his shorts. Tidus looked at the night sky. Maybe Wakka would see a floating orb, too.

"Sorry, I know this is pretty… dark and stuff, but… I need answers. I want to know why the fayth are reaching out to _me_ when I can't even figure out why I'm still here." He buried his face in his hands. "I wanna know why Sin decided to pay us a visit after _everything_. I wanna know why Yuna's keeping it all a secret, or if she even knows why. I wanna know if I actually died, or I'm just... I don't know. I'm tired of being kept in the dark..."

Wakka tilted his head upwards. "Everything's coming back, ya?"

"What do you mean?"

"You, Sin, the fayth, the dead… they're all just showing up back here. Maybe this really is supposed to be Spira's fate, ya?"

Tidus's eyes widened. "What?! Wakka, that's completely insane!"

"Not for us, man." Wakka responded, in an unusually calm voice.

"You saw us kill Sin without the Final Aeon! You saw how everything changed after that! No fayth, no aeons, and I disappeared! You saw it happen, you mourned me, you all did. I know you did!" He could feel his eyes watering. "Sin was _gone_. It was just a memory... all of the stuff we went through to save Spira... it was just a bad dream..."

Wakka stood up. "Then why's Sin still here, huh? Give me a good reason." His arms were folded across his chest.

"I…" his lip moved but he couldn't developed a rational explanation. "I don't know! I don't know anything anymore! But... we gotta figure out why. We gotta beat Sin again. We can't just sit here and accept this as Spira's fate!"

Wakka sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. "Listen, we're all in over our heads, ya? We gave it our all when we fought Sin and guess what? It's still here. That's that, then. If we can't get rid of it by defying Yevon and using our wits, then what makes you think we can kill Sin for good this time?"

Tidus's mouth hung open in shock. This couldn't be real. Now, it _really_ had to be a dream. "Don't tell me you're giving up, too?"

Wakka turned opposite of him. "Not giving up, just facing the facts, ya? We can't spend our whole lives fighting for something that can't be beat. Now, we just gotta protect the ones we love and keep everyone safe."

"How are we supposed to do that when Sin's just casually waltzing around and killing people in its path?"

"Hey, we've been doing it for over a thousand years now, ya? Who's to say we can't do it for a thousand more?"

Wakka went back to the camp. He was only a couple steps before Tidus caught his attention with another question.

"Wakka… did you know about me too? About me exploding?"

Wakka stopped walking. He didn't turn around and immediately reassure his blonde friend, saying he knew just as much as Tidus did. If Wakka did know as much, he would've done so. A small laugh escaped Tidus's throat.

"Of course. Because I'm always the last one to know about important things like that." He hung his head. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"Wasn't my secret to tell, man." With that, Wakka continued towards the camp and left Tidus feeling numb. Every small step Tidus took back to camp was a small step to his realization that everything happening in the past couple of hours was real. As real as Sin. As real as the bomb. As real as the pain in his chest. Perhaps Wakka had been right, that it was useless to fight. If he could at least protect everyone he loved, that would have been enough for Tidus. Maybe he didn't need anymore than that.

It was the sound of shouting and the ground shaking slightly that pulled him back to the present. He ran to catch up with the rest of the crew and froze when he saw the contraption that emerged from the sand.

"W-what's that doing here?!" Rikku said, reaching for her claws.

"I don't know, but it looks dangerous!" Yuna said. The machine was shaped like a spider with spindly legs and a body with two seats for a driver and passenger. There were two headlights resembling eyes on its head, flickering rapidly before shutting off completely. It lifted one unsteady leg up and swung at them, causing them to flee. The spider machine was clumsy and a couple of sparks were flying from it. Parts of its body exposed its wiring and turning gears. Rikku was surprised it could even move at all. The spider chased them down to the shore, and it finally turned on its headlights. Its leg was raised and was about to swing at them again, but it stopped when its headlights finally shone.

"Rikku?!" Rikku turned to the machine as she heard the familiar voice.

"Pops?!"

The spider put its leg down. "What are you doing?!"

"I might ask you the same question!" Rikku said.

"Hunting down dinner! What's it look like? Took you for fiends!"

"With that stupid thing?!"

"I just got it all fixed up! This baby used to be the best hunting machine on this hunk of desert!"

Rikku sighed. "Pops… I meant what are you doing here on the island?"

"Well if you'd just hop in, I'll show you!" The spider's body opened a hatch to where Rikku assumed the drivers sat. There were no seats, no controls, and no driver.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen! How are we supposed to fit in there?" Rikku said.

"More importantly, how the hell is he driving that thing?" Tidus asked.

"Fine! Follow this bad boy, if you can keep up!" The spider turned on its wobbly legs and started the other way.

 _I couldn't believe I was saying this to myself, but when I heard that voice coming out of that machine built to hunt down who-knows-what, I was more than glad it was Rikku's father._

The machine led them to a small shelter, built from pieces of what Tidus assumed to be the ruins of Home with a large tarp above it. It was half buried in the sand with all the sandstorms swooping in. Cid was waiting for them on the other side. His suit was tattered and his face looked slightly bruised under the pale moonlight. He grinned widely nonetheless.

"It's about time!" He said.

"What?! We were following you!" Rikku responded, her hands on her hips.

"How do you like my new creation?" He patted the rundown ancient creation, which immediately broke down.

"Real… nice." Rikku moaned. "Where'd you find it anyway?"

"Save that for another time!" Cid golfed his arms across his chest. "What are you kids doing here?"

Unsure of how to answer his question in under an hour, everyone remained silent. Until Yuna began to speak.

"We… came here by accident." She said.

"Crash landed, I'll bet!" Cid assumed. "My Rikku's never been good at flying!"

"Hey! Just so you know, I learned that from you." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Cid laughed. "That's a funny joke. Well come on in. Don't want you getting caught by those Yevonites!"

They all shared an uncertain look.

Gaia felt her heart drop when they made their way inside the shelter. The Al Bhed were congested together, sickly, pale, skinny, and undeniably sad. They were wrapped in blankets with some of them having bandages dressing their limbs and faces. She felt the pang of guilt in her heart realizing that they were fugitives. In a world where it was apparent that Yevon's teachings were disregarded. She wished she couldn't held her anger in - she only meant to take it out on something much larger than her when she couldn't have - and stayed quiet. Cid brought the crew to the part of the shelter where he had his electronics and controls lazily set up.

"How long have you guys been here?" Rikku asked.

"Longer than we planned." Cid responded without looking.

"What happened?" Yuna asked.

The man wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with an almost blackened handkerchief.

"We were just minding our own business, then… for no reason, they chased us away! Said something about the cursed Al Bhed and Sin. What about Sin? Why are they getting angry at us and trying to keep us out of our new homes again? You got any idea what they're talking about?"

Yuna was staring at the floor, her hands fiddling with each other.

"Sin… Sin appeared in Bevelle…" she said, quietly. For a second, only the machine hums could be heard.

"That can't be! I saw that thing die with my own eyes!" Cid said.

"That's what we thought too… but it was right there, Pops. It… destroyed the ship." Rikku mumbled.

Cid spun around, his face the usual shade of red. "What?! You mean you tried fighting Sin with my prized ship and destroyed it?!"

"I had to rescue Yunie! And the rest of these guys!" Rikku protested.

"I never should've let you drive that thing! First you almost give me a heart attack when you disappear from the radar, and then you completely trash everything I've worked hard for! When are you gonna learn?!"

The Al Byrd girl groaned in frustration and turned away from her father. She was in too much anguish to fight back.

Yuna took a step forward. "Uncle Cid? It's not her fault. She was just trying to help us in our time of need. She did the best she could to get us far away from Sin."

Cid calmed his anger and loosened the tight fist he'd made. He sighed and mumbled something in his native tongue as he took a seat on the hard ground.

"Well… I guess it all makes sense now. Those Yevonites really like to blame us for this crap. All because we make new opportunities by using machina." He shook his head, his tone shifting drastically. "When will it ever stop?"

Yuna wandered out of the room through the crowd of people, and she stopped when everyone gazed up at her with sad eyes. The eyes that half of her shared with them. Most of the people were lying on cots, their bodies twitching and their relatives at their sides. They were trying to keep the wounded calm by putting warm cloths on their wounds, stroking their hair, whispering things to them, and giving them sips of water. At first glance, Yuna thought that these people had a run in with Sin, but these injuries looked as if they'd been beaten by other people. Once again, the followers of Yevon had turned against them and forced them to go into hiding. The people looked sickly. Cid explained that he did his best to gather proper medical supplies for them, but the hospitals and medical care centers were run by Yevonites, and they denied them. Cid had to steal from them, and now he'd be a wanted man all over Spira.

And now suddenly Yuna wished she could have taken back everything she said only a few short hours ago.

"Lady Yuna?" She turned to see a small little girl with a large bruise on her left cheek and bandages around her arms. Yuna knelt to her level.

"Yes?"

"Is it true that… that Sin is back? Before we came here, I heard the people say that Sin was back, and it was our fault."

"No, of course its not your fault…" Yuna said quietly.

"But… they don't think that. Why do they want us to stay here? Why don't they want us to be with them?"

"I… don't know."

"Are we stuck here forever? If… Sin is back, it won't be safe anywhere else… Will we be able to go home?"

Yuna hesitated. She looked around to see the rest of the clan, waiting for her to answer the little girl. They, too, wanted to return to the homes they'd built to start their new lives, without fear of being rejected again. Yuna came from a line of Al Bhed, but she never knew what it was like to be reprimanded because of it. Sin brought many things: fear, ignorance, death, grief. If it weren't for Yu Yevon and its spiral of death, none of these people would've suffered so much. And an even more self-destructing thought was that if it weren't for her, these people wouldn't have continued to suffer. She wanted to bury the true reasoning for Sin's return at the back of her mind, along with other dark secrets she may have hidden from herself. But she knew she couldn't. And if she couldn't have prevented Sin from appearing into their lives again this time, looking at this little girl, with her eyes full of despair yet with a sliver of hope, she suddenly realized what she needed to do to stop further damage.

She stood. "Uncle Cid? Do you still have a working CommSphere?"

"Sorry, Yuna, damn thing hasn't worked since we got here." Cid said.

Yuna turned to her cousin. "Maybe you can see what's wrong with it?"

"I don't know, can Pop handle me messing with his hard work?" Rikku said, in a sour tone.

"Eh, shut up and fix the thing already! Do me a favor after ruining my ship!" Cid turned his back to her.

"You really have no idea how to ask nicely, do you?" Rikku took a look at the CommSphere. For Yuna's sake.

The rest of the crew sat uncomfortably around the Al Bhed. They listened as the crowd of people whispered to each other about Sin being back on Spira and their confidence that Yuna would restore everything.

"Pops, stop using lead to conduct your electric appliances! You need copper wiring for the CommSphere to work!"

"Copper, huh? I could've figured that out!"

"Whatever, you got any scrap metal I can use for this?"

"I'm saving that!"

"For what?!"

"Well…" the older man scratched the back of his head.

Rikku shook her head. "Pop, if you wanna get out of here, and get the rest of our people back to their homes, you need to work with me here."

"Fine!" He left to retrieve the metal.

Yuna stared at the wall of the shelter, furious with herself for almost abandoning the things she'd poured her heard into in the past. How could she have left these people in the clutches of Sin? It would have had to be her and her guardians. They knew things of Sin that no living being could have ever predicted. She made up her mind then. She would cast aside her issues with Tidus and focus her attention on the more urgent matter. When Rikku managed to replace the wiring, the CommSphere started back up again.

"Hah! How do you like me now, Pops?"

"Hmpf! Good luck trying to reach any of the other CommSpheres!"

"What do you mean?" Yuna said.

"Give it a try."

Rikku searched for a signal on the other islands. Bevelle's was cut off, possibly because of the destruction of the temple. Luca's was down, Kilika's was off, the one from Mi'ihen road was blank. The only places Rikku could think of were the Mt. Gagazet hot springs, and the one in Besaid.

"What happened to them?" Yuna asked.

"The Yevonites!" Cid shouted, startling the others. "When they cut us off from our homes, they destroyed everything we set up! All our machina, all the things we gave to them. It was chaos! The money we spent and the money we made, it's all down the drain now!"

Yuna clenched her teeth. She hated how these people could become less closed-minded and then revert back to their destructive ways of thinking in a short amount of time.

"I guess we can send a message to Lulu and ask her for her help. Besaid's the only one that isn't broken." She said.

"Do you think it'll reach her in time?" Rikku said.

"Yes. Part of her mayor duties is checking the CommSphere for important messages. It's also part of my job too."

"Well, I hope she gets this before anything else comes up." Rikku typed on the small digital keyboard and sent the message to Besaid.

"Good! Then it's settled!" Cid stretched his arms.

Rikku looked over the crowd of people. "Hey, Pops, where's Gippal?"

"How should I know?! Last time I heard, he was with you!"

"He said he was going to meet up with you in Luca!"

"Well I was there, waiting for you to bring him so we can take care of business and then that's when we got chased away!"

"I wasn't supposed to pick him up!" Rikku though for a second. "Wait a minute, maybe he made it to Luca without me! He might still be there. If we can get to Luca from here, then he can help us find another airship!"

"It's worth a try." Yuna said and she walked up to the crowd with a determined look on her face, and a different mindset.

"Everyone, listen close. I know Sin has put you through… a lot. You… we have all lost many things dearly close to us. But I'm here to tell you that the time of Sin terrorizing us and keeping us from living our own lives is going to be over. No matter what happens, I will keep fighting for what's right. I will defeat Sin again, or die trying."

The crowd cheered for her. Even the sick ones. Tidus felt relieved Yuna came back to being the wonderful, bold girl that he'd known. He smiled at her, but her head was turned the other way, and she didn't notice.


	12. Of Blitzballs and Old Nostalgia

**Of Blitzballs and Old Nostalgia**

It had taken a few weeks - three at the very least - before a response appeared on the worn out CommSphere that help was on the way. Cid took it upon himself to escort them to the awaiting ship at the shore of the ocean, while they gave him a play by play about their adventures and mishaps leading up to Bikanel. They talked of Yuna's mission to find out about the half-fiend, half-human creatures and report the information to the Council. They talked of the Thunder Plains, the abhorrent experiences they've had there, and the Farplane mist expanding further out of Guadosalam. When Yuna got to the part where she was unexpectedly called back to the Council for important, her voice broke off.

"What's wrong, Yunie?" Rikku asked.

"It's just… that meeting didn't exactly go as planned…" Yuna said.

"Hmph! They never do, am I right?" Cid said. Now, he was able to say those kinds of things, having been employed by Bevelle before.

Yuna held her tongue. She didn't know how to word the next part of her tale.

"Pops… let Yunie finish the story." Rikku said.

"It's okay, I… didn't actually get to meet with them."

Tidus had to stop himself from shouting in sheer fury about the sender that attempted kidnap on Yuna, and discuss why he wanted to do so - he still wanted to clarify the reason himself- but he decided to spare Yuna from revealing that information. He could see she was having trouble reiterating.

"Then Sin attacked! We were all waiting patiently for the Council to meet with Yuna, and then out of nowhere, there it was!" He made wild gestures with his hands.

"Is that right?!" Cid said.

"Yup, it tried to kill us. But thanks to Rikku, we got away safely." Tidus continued.

"So that's how you all got here, eh? Well, it serves those durn Yevonites right!"

Yuna stopped in her tracks and the rest of the crew followed suit.

"Pops!" Rikku said.

"What? You don't see us Al Bhed trying to relive our memories and bring people back! What's dead should stay dead! Those Yevonites don't get seem to get that, and now they're paying the price!"

Rikku hung her head and kicked at the sand. "You don't have to say it like that…"

Tidus swallowed and stepped forward. "Hey, Cid, I don't mean any disrespect, but I seem to recollect that you were trying really hard to start a business in places like Zanarkand, which is sacred to those people, so you can earn enough money to rebuild Home. Even though the Al Bhed were able to make their own homes throughout Spira."

Cid folded his arms across his chest. "What's your point?"

"A lot of people had a chance to get back what they lost, and reunite with their people." The blonde continued. "So why wouldn't they? Wasn't that what you were trying to do? Plus, how would they know their families would turn into those creeps? It's not like it was written on their skin."

"Alright, alright, I get the picture." Cid said a bit quieter. "Still, it goes without saying: memories really are just memories."

When they made it to the unmarked sandy beach shore, there was a wooden boat stationed for them. The captain of the ship called joyfully to Yuna and welcomed the rest of them on board. However, before Rikku had a chance to step onto the deck, Cid grasped her arm as gently as he could have.

"You're not gonna stay and help out?" He questioned.

"What? You actually _want_ my help?"

"Better than having you going around Spira, breaking everything in sight!"

Rikku rolled her eyes and then looked at him with keen eyes.

"You're worried about my safety, aren't you?" A sly smile played upon her lips.

Cid stumbled on his own words. "Psht, t-that's stupid! I just need a helping hand with these people. You know how they get."

"Pops, I appreciate your concern, but I'm the only one in this crowd that knows how to work the machina. If I can get to Luca, fix the CommSpheres, and find Gippal, then we can go back to Bevelle and figure out what's going on in this crazy world! I gotta help Yunie fight Sin, and fix everything we set up, and then we can bring the Al Bhed back to living their lives."

"But…" Cid sighed. "I guess I can't stop you. You're not my little girl anymore…"

"I'm still your little girl! But I'm a little girl with a big job to do! I'll be back before you know it and we can go back to causing trouble."

She hugged her father tightly, and as she made her way on the rickety boat with the rest of them, Cid kept his eyes on her, the swirly green irises filled with remorse and fatherly worry.

The boat sailed off into the blue unknown. It wasn't a vehicle well known to any of the Besaid islanders. It was large, and not the same worn-out shade of yellow as the _S.S Ace_. Compared to that rundown fixer upper, this boat seemed almost luxurious. Mahogany wood with fresh-looking boards, without a splinter in sight. Definitely not owned by anyone from Besaid, the others concluded.

"I wonder if Lulu's here." Yuna said.

Wakka turned around, his eyes alarmed. "Man, if she were, I'd probably have a lot to answer for, ya? I mean, I don't know how I'm gonna start with this whole escapade, and how I dragged Lulu here so she can rescue my pathetic ass... again. After I totally screwed up by not giving her all the important updates like I said I would because I was sure we were okay before it all went to shit."

"Uh… Wakka?" Yuna said, hiding a giggle behind her hand.

"Hmm?"

Tidus laughed at him. "Maybe you should figure that out right now."

They could have sworn they saw all the hairs on Wakka's neck stand up straight as he heard Lulu clear her throat and spun around.

"Hey, Lu!" he squealed with a nervous laugh.

"Now, I'd like to know every single detail, and your explanation to justify all of it." The black mace told him.

"Right…" Wakka hung his head.

"Why'd you decide to come after all?" Rikku asked.

"I was worried about Yuna, and you too, after I received that message."

"How's Besaid?" Yuna asked.

"It's quiet… much, much too quiet." Her voice went quiet and she kept her eyes on the deck.

"That's… very odd." Yuna said.

Lulu looked at her. "Why do you say that?"

"Well… it's kind of a long story. A lot of things have happened since we left."

Lulu looked at the rest of the crew. She took Yuna to the opposite side of the boat where they could engage in private conversation.

Tidus and Wakka were observing their discussion, hoping that none of it had to do with any negative mentions about them. Especially after Wakka had told Lulu that he knew what to do if there was trouble.

"Is she allowed to leave Besaid?" Tidus asked.

"As she puts it, 'she does whatever she pleases'." Wakka said, grinning widely.

"But… doesn't she have a job to do? She is the mayor, right?"

"She's allowed to do some things outside of being mayor, as long as the island isn't out of control. She said herself, it's been too quiet, ya?"

Tidus turned towards the sea, hands gripping the rope railing. "I wonder why Yuna couldn't talk about what just happened around us. I mean, I was there when it happened, too."

"She has her reasons, I guess." Wakka said.

Tidus sighed as he remembered the argument she and him had the previous day.

"Is she angry with me?" He asked his friend.

"Not really, I mean… she was upset, no doubt, but not angry." He turned his head toward Tidus. "Why don't you go talk to her?"

Tidus looked back at Yuna. As she went on about their misadventures, both men noticed that Lulu's stern facial expression softened to a look of concern and fear. Lulu turned her head towards Wakka, and he smiled and did a small wave.

"I wouldn't know where to start." Tidus said.

"How 'bout 'hi, how's it going?'. You can handle that, ya? I bet she's as stressed about the whole situation as you are."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll talk to her when she's done talking with Lulu."

When Yuna ended the story, Lulu's expression was unclear, though the two former guardians could see she wasn't as calm internally as her outer appearance implied. Tidus assumed she would have been that way even if she did see it for herself. He listened to her apologize, and wish she'd gone with the crew so she could fight alongside them. But she gave kudos to Yuna for managing, the way she always did. When Yuna was done talking, she stepped aside towards the opposite side of the boat. Away from where he stood.

He took a deep breath. "Okay…"

When he walked around the entrance to the cockpit, he did see Yuna, but he stopped in his footsteps upon noticing she wasn't alone. The scrawny, cowardly sender that tagged along with them from Bevelle was talking with her. Tidus couldn't hear what they were discussing but he noticed Yuna was laughing and joking with him. She looked more alive than Tidus had recently seen her. The whole time, he assumed she was speaking such few words because she was utterly heartbroken from what he told her and upset about what'd happened to him. Now that he was seeing in genuine happiness without his presence, it felt like a stab at his self esteem. _Another_ stab at it. He made the hasty decision not to interrupt her enjoyment however, and he walked into the cockpit below the deck.

Gaia was in distraught. Overcome with insecurity and angry at her impulsive outburst, she couldn't shake the sight of those suffering Al Bhed fugitives from her mind. In a common ignorance, she didn't realize how much the Al Bhed had suffered and lost. The way she'd tried to lift her spirits was by reminding herself that at the very least, she was ready to apologize. As soon as Rikku made the first step, of course. It couldn't have been Gaia that had to reach out. She was in the deep end. Someone had to help her out.

"So I bet this adventure isn't what you expected, eh?" Wakka told her.

She laughed slightly. "Well, I mean… I never traveled around Spira before, so I didn't really know what to expect."

He stood beside her, leaning against the rope. "We're going to your old home, right?"

"Yeah…"

For once in the past few weeks, It felt nice to travel by sea and feel the ocean breeze blow through his flame-headed hair again. He had to catch himself from reminiscing in the old days. Catching a boat to a tournament. Sure, he knew he couldn't win by a long shot. But he was happy. He and the rest of the Aurochs. He breathed in and felt himself loosen up his tense muscles.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Wakka said.

Gaia looked at him. "What's up?"

"You said you played blitzball for years, ya? You didn't play to win, but you sure won big, and a bunch of teams wanted you to play for them. But then you stopped for a while. How come?"

"Well…" Gaia was blushing madly. She scratched the back of her neck and kept her eyes on the cirrus clouds thousands of feet above them and made circles in the deck with her boot.

"Well…?"

"I met someone."

"Oh…" And now Wakka found himself mimicking her actions.

Gaia sighed heavily. "Blitzball was super important to me growing up. Sure, a lot of people treated it as a competitive sport, but to me, it was just a nice way to relax and forget about everything going on. I lost my parents thanks to Sin, but as long as I had blitzball, I knew I could feel content. Winning kind of took that feeling away from me, and blitzball felt like more of a chore than something I did to take the edge off. But when I first laid my eyes… on _him_ , suddenly, everything changed."

Wakka felt his lips curl into a slight smile.

She cleared her throat. "I know it's sappy and cliche, but when I met him, I truly felt like it was love at first sight. He was tall, attractive, and loved playing as much as I did. He was awesome at blitzing too, and we made a deal that day we met."

"Yeah? What was it?"

"If he won, then I'd have to show up to every game he played with his team's name painted all over my body. If I won for my team, he'd have to watch me play with my team's name all over his body. I totally kicked ass and won that day. He never admitted it, but I could tell he was impressed with my skills."

He laughed slightly.

"After that, betting against each other sort of became our thing. I made a bet that if I won, then he'd have to cheer for the opposite team whenever he played, and he bet if he won then I'd have to wear a jersey for every team I lost against for a season. This went on for about a year, by the way."

"It took you guys a year to realize you liked each other?"

She pushed him to the side.

"Well, it definitely got more personal. When that year was over, my team and his team were playing against each other in the biggest tournament for the the Luca Goers. That was when I played for them, and he decided to go with the Besaid Aurochs." Her eyes widened. "Hey, that's the team you played for!"

"Yup!"

"Before the tournament, we bet that if the other won, then the loser would have to be the one to ask the winner to be theirs. Guess who won that day?"

"The Goers?"

"Nope! The Aurochs."

"No way!" And he was in legitimate disbelief at that.

"Yeah! It was the biggest loss in years, but I wasn't too upset about it. I totally thought he was joking when he made the bet, so I asked him to be mine in the most overdramatic way possible. And… he said yeah. I was so freaked out, I nearly wet myself!"

"That's some story, right there." He said, picturing the Goers' faces when they learned they'd lost to the ill-fated Aurochs thanks to the help of a certain blonde blitzed. It seemed like such a long time ago.

"That was the year I made it my goal to win, because it wasn't just the trophy I was winning. It was his approval. Although, I bet he liked me as soon as he saw me because of my good looks." She posed.

"You had a pretty good blitz thing going for you two, ya?"

Gaia's smile faded slightly. "Well… that's the thing. See, there was a certain time after we got together that we made a decision for ourselves… and we figured blitzball just… wasn't for us anymore."

"Why not?"

She fiddled with her hands. The wind blew through her dark brown dreadlocks and the sun reflected off her tan skin. She hoped he wouldn't see her reddened face.

"We… started a family together…"

Wakka turned to face her. "You… got kids too?"

Gaia nodded. "I… don't remember it well… but he said he thought it was the best thing to do for our offspring, and I agreed. I guess it makes sense why I heard a kid screaming when I tried to fight off Sin. I… remember holding a crying baby… and running. I tried to get my child to safety, but I don't remember what I said, or… who I gave my baby to."

Gaia turned around and put her hands on the railings, breathing heavily. She watched as the dolphins leaped out of the small waves at the tail end of the boat. She listened to their call and the splashing sounds they made caused her to forget herself for a second.

"I wonder how long I've been dead, and… I wonder if my child would still be out there, and want to see me. Maybe he, or she thought I left and… never came back."

Wakka gazed inquisitively at Gaia, his brow raised and watched her stare blankly at the journey ahead. She didn't turn back to look at him and part of him was glad because at that moment, he was staring at her; he was analyzing her facial features deeply, and for some unknown reason, he felt as though they weren't as unfamiliar as he previously thought.

Tidus was trying to keep himself occupied. It was swarming through his head why he felt like his father was calling to him in Bevelle. It was strange; through his childhood he felt as though his father never listened to him, and vice versa. Yet they had this supernatural ability to communicate miles away from each other. It wasn't just Jecht he believed he was hearing; he could hear thousands of voices calling to him. All different people, probably all of Sin's victims from the beginning. But why him? What urgent matter did he need to be aware of that they came out of their rightful place in the Farplane to tell him? It gave him a headache trying to piece it all together:

"What's eating you?" Tidus turned to Chuami who was sitting on the floor close to him.

"What's _not_ eating me?" He responded.

"Oh, right, Sin…" she said.

"Not just Sin, there was stuff happening before."

Chuami scooted closer to him. "You're talking about stuff with Yuna right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Everyone knows you and her are a thing. I was there when you snapped in front of her. Also, Kurgum keeps trying to hang out with her to ask her for sending advice and whatnot, so that's probably irritating."

"Well, he's getting more out of her than I am…" Tidus said, glumly.

"She did seem pretty uptight when we talked to her back at Bikanel."

"Yeah, I know."

Chuami looked at him. "But that doesn't seem to be the only thing bothering you."

"I… I don't really wanna talk about it…"

"Come on, we're the only ones in this room. You know how many secrets I've kept?"

Tidus fixated his eyes on the small window on the cockpit door. The boat was wobbling side to side and making him feel calm, despite everything. If he truly were dead, then he probably didn't have all the time in the world to keep things from people.

"Alright, fine. I'm… not from this world."

"Isn't that the truth…?" Chuami said.

"What?" He perked his head up.

"Nothing, keep going."

"I ended up here, on Spira, from Zanarkand. But not the ruins everybody over here knows, the other Zanarkand."

"You mean… the city that never sleeps?"

"Yeah, I was just at home and then… I was here. Sin somehow teleported me a thousand years ahead of time. I ended up in Besaid, where I met Yuna, and I decided to accompany her on her pilgrimage."

"Yeah, everyone knows that too."

"Well, then, why'd you ask?"

"Hey, the story's not over yet, right?" Chuami folded her hands on her lap.

"Okay then, something felt weird about being here. This place was completely different that the home I knew, and everyone was acting different. Zanarkand was nothing but rubble, and a holy place. Then I found out I wasn't actually here. Well, I was but…"

"You mean, you've been an unsent the whole time?"

"Not really… the fayth told me I was a dream. A dream that they were dreaming about for a long time. Yu Yevon was inside Sin, summoning the aeons, the fayth, and keeping the dream 'alive'. When we killed it, I faded away."

"But… you're still here."

"I'm just as confused about it as you are. Somehow I ended up back here. I remembered my relationship with Yuna, and our whole journey fighting against Sin, but that's it. Crazy, right?"

"I've heard crazier things."

"The weirdest part is that I came back from the dead twice. Once when I disappeared, and the other time when I was killed from a blitzbomb."

Chuami fell silent.

"You know, that sender we had to fight back in Bevelle… we saw him make an aeon thing appear out of nowhere. He used the pyreflies like any summoner would when they call aeons, but… I thought the aeons and the fayth were gone. He just… made it happen somehow. Summoners can't do that, right? They can't just make something out of nothing?" Tidus said.

"Summoners have powers that blow the minds of many. You know about as much as I do about it, but it's definitely a possibility. Maybe they have more potential than any of us know and one of them finally figured it out. I don't know, Kurgum doesn't say anything about his abilities. In fact, nobody I work with tells me anything."

Tidus snorted. "Yeah, join the freaking club."

Loud commotion was coming from outside the cockpit. Tidus saw through the small window that people were shuffling back and forth. He got up and went outside to see what was going on.

The captain was listening to the Al Bhed radio newly installed on the ship and mentioned to the others that Kilika was being attacked. The people didn't know where to turn, because the island was small and the fiends were pouring out from the jungle. All at once. The captain added that somebody broadcasted the situation from the Kilika port to a nearby radio calling for help.

"And you're sure this radio is accurate?" Yuna asked.

"Absolutely, Lady Yuna." The captain said.

"What should we do?" Rikku asked. Yuna thought about it. Although it would seem ideal that the crew make it to Luca as soon as possible to salvage any technology and find Gippal, Yuna thought it was also important to reduce the fiends' kill count. After all, the last thing the people needed after being attacked and killed by fiends was more fiends.

Yuna turned to the captain. "Very well, set a course for Killika Port."


	13. Unexplained Absence

**Unexplained Absence**

The unforgivable damage Sin had inflicted upon Kilika Island was fixed with the help of the Youth League. The families that tearfully watched Yuna send their dead relatives to the Farplane were grateful for the gesture. Since the Calm started, they were fortunate in not having to experience the horrors of that faithful day when Sin appeared and snatched many lives. Today, when Yuna and her crew arrived at the scene, the once rebuilt island was now half-dilapidated with burnt homes and almost all of the people had to leave at the arrival of the horrific fiends. As soon as the boat docked, Yuna could see the mutant fiends tearing parts of the wood on the homes out and throwing them into the water. A couple of the people were trying to fight against them with little success. The fiends scratched and bruised them, and eventually, they came to terms with the fact that they didn't have any chances against these creatures. The mutants were tougher and feistier. Lulu brought extra weapons in case the party needed them, including her own magic tools. Kurgum and Chuami stood behind them, keeping watch as the former guardians fought against the monsters.

Yuna relearned her healing spells, and was able to cure most of the party members in one move. Lulu stocked them with extra potions, antidotes, elixirs, and Rikku picked up a very small portion of the Al Bhed potions before leaving Bikanel Island. The crew were able to maintain the consistency of fighting and healing without any trouble, and they managed to drive the hoard farther away from the ruined village. Once they finished off the village monsters, they turned their attention to a grown man crying in the corner of one of the destroyed houses. Yuna came over to the man, and she recognized the muscled former guardian of her summoner rival.

"Barthello? Are… are you okay?" Yuna asked.

"Dona!" Barthello sobbed.

"What happened to her? Do you know where she is?" Yuna asked.

"DONA!"

"Come on, man, we're trying to figure out what's going on!" Rikku said.

"Rikku!" Tidus said.

Barthello continued blubbering and calling his lover's name. Yuna couldn't get through to him. He was scarred and traumatized by the morning's events. Yuna tried getting him up, but he continued to sit in his place and whine like a child. A couple of the villagers were walking around, carrying medical supplies for the injured. Yuna requested a thermal blanket and a first aid kit. Barthello didn't flinch when Yuna put some gauze on his wounds and wrapped the blanket around him. He was repeating Dona's name quietly over and over again until he was calm. He took a deep breath and looked at Yuna.

"What… just happened?" he asked her.

"The town was attacked by fiends." Rikku told him.

"Oh… right. _Those_ things…"

"Barthello, could you tell us the details of what happened to you?" Yuna said.

Barthello didn't speak at first. When he recalled the events, he just said his lover's name again.

"It's okay, you don't have to speak if you don't want to." Yuna said.

"No, it's alright, I don't want to waste your time." Barthello took a deep breath in. "Those horrible, disgusting things… they were human, or they were fiends. I couldn't tell. Nobody knows what happened, but… the dead were with their living families and friends again. Those people that died here when Sin attacked before the Calm, we don't know where they came from, but they were here! Outside the Farplane! Dona and I were watching them. They were here for only a few hours, and then… they just turned into monsters!"

As Yuna expected, the hybrid fiends managed to reach farther away from where the Farplane was losing its boundary. What puzzled her was the fact that no one in this location seemed to hear about the dead returning and transforming. The first time Yuna had known about this, she was on Djose shore, which was not far away from Kilika at all. Yuna sighed. Maybe there truly was still a lot of ignorance around without the help of Sin.

"Barthello, did you see what happened to Dona?" she asked.

"They took her away!" Barthello started sobbing again. This time, less hysterical. The party waited for him to calm down again.

"Who?" Yuna asked.

"The Youth League, or… New Yevon, or whatever they're called now. I saw someone come up to her while she was near the jungle, and tell her she was wanted back in Bevelle. She didn't trust the man, and I wouldn't either. He said it was urgent, and she tried to get away from him. Then those things attacked! I couldn't see what happened to her after that. Maybe she ran off into the jungle to protect herself from the fiends, but... I'm absolutely sure that man who said he was from Bevelle kidnapped her! I should've gone after her… I was supposed to protect her!"

"Hey, take it easy, man, it's not your fault." Tidus said to him.

"It's okay, Barthello, we'll find her." Yuna said.

"Y-you will?" Barthello said.

Yuna smiled at him. "Of course."

Barthello headed for the town's Inn as the crew walked towards the jungle, looking for possible signs of Dona. It was quiet, and there weren't any more of the hybrid fiends in sight. They were cautious. Fiends liked to ambush anybody wherever they went and these mutants were no exception.

"Am I the only one that finds it hard to believe anybody would kidnap Dona just because?" Tidus said.

"Hey, man, take this seriously." Wakka said.

"I don't think they would kidnap her 'just because'." Rikku said. "She was useful before when summoners still had their power."

"Yeah, right…" Tidus said.

They've searched the jungle for a while but any trace of Dona was nowhere to be found. They could see mangled parts of trees and a couple of mutilated corpses. Yuna turned her head away from them. They came to a crossroad intersection and they stopped to figure out where to travel next.

"Okay, I'm lost." Tidus said. "This jungle's like a maze."

"Let's try over there." Yuna said.

"We already went that way." Gaia told her.

"Let's retrace our steps, ya?" Wakka massaged his jaw with his thumb and index finger.

The crew began discussing the different directions when Rikku noticed something in the distance of one of the paths. There was something stuck on the trunk of a palm tree. Rikku walked away from the distracted crowd. It was a piece of paper, a flyer, with Dona's face on it. The top of the paper read:

"FORMER" SUMMONER WANTED BY THE SPIRA COUNCIL; IF FOUND, PLEASE TURN IN IMMEDIATELY

Dona's face was poorly sketched and the paper looked as if it had been handwritten instead of the typical works of a printed advertisement, or newsletter. Rikku was wondering why the first word had quotations on it. Undetected, slimy tentacles slid from the bushes, wrapped around her ankles and dragged her into the foliage. The crew turned when they heard her screams.

"Rikku!" Yuna ran first and the rest of them followed.

"Help!"

Her shouting led to the fiend of fiends in Kilika Woods. Lord Ochu, standing in all of its glory, had its plant-like qualities replaced with skin and carnivorous teeth. It's stems were fleshy and long, holding Rikku upside-down over its gigantic open mouth. The stems wrapped so tightly around her ankles that she felt like she was losing feeling in her legs. The monster unleashed its poisonous toxin and Rikku started to feel queasy. She could see the layers of teeth inside its mouth before dark spots floated over her eyes.

"Hey!" Wakka threw his blitzball at it, and managed to distract it from its prey. The stems threw Rikku around and it held her away from its mouth. Wakka took the opportunity to throw his ball again and it did a boomerang move, cutting through the stems with its spikes and Rikku was released onto the ground. The fiend screeched loud enough to petrify the crowd for a split second. Gaia ran to Rikku's side and picked her up. Lulu hit the monster with her Firaga move and stunned it. It retaliated by going to sleep. During the time it took to rest, Wakka, Tidus, and Lulu hit it with each of their moves, but they seemed to effect it very little. When the monster finally awoke, a powerful earthquake shook the ground below them. They all fell to the floor. Lord Ochu attacked with its stems, and they were able to dodge them, but it took a while for them to get back on their feet. Lord Ochu gave them the foul-smelling poison. As their health started declining, the monster started to attack with its stems again, hitting each member and worsening their conditions. Lulu stood up on weak legs. She raised her arms in the air and performed her Firaga fury.

Lord Ochu was on the brink of death, but the rest of the crowd were in the same situation. Gaia drew her bow with two arrows, both incinerated by a fire spell she'd learned and sent them in the air. The arrows landed directly into the monster's mouth and that was enough to destroy it. Yuna got right to work healing her friends and curing them of their poison.

"What was that…?" Rikku said, once Yuna gave her the medicine.

"Another half-human, half-fiend creature." Tidus said.

"I've heard of them, but I had no idea they were that nasty-looking."

Rikku got up from the ground.

"What were you looking at over there?" Yuna asked.

"Oh, right! Come with me." Rikku took them to where she found the flyer.

"Dona's… wanted by the Council?" Tidus said.

"What's she done?" Wakka said.

Yuna thought about the sender back in Bevelle that asked her for her help with his mission. His dangerous mission to allow the dead to be brought back, with the cost of them losing control and turning into hybrid fiends, only to kill more people and create more monsters. Yuna grabbed the poster from the stem of the tree.

"Let's go talk to Barthello." She said.

The Inn had a small bar at the entrance. The crew found Barthello sitting by himself with an alcoholic beverage in front of him. He shared the same look of disappointment and sadness as the bartender, and the rest of the villagers. Yuna seated herself next to him.

"Barthello, do you remember who it was that took Dona?" she asked.

"Well… I couldn't really see anything other than a black hood with a Yevon symbol on it. I didn't get the guy's name…" he said.

Yuna rubbed her forehead. "Okay, have you seen this flyer before?"

Barthello became teary-eyed at the sight of his lover's poorly-drawn face. "Dona! H-how did this happen? She hasn't done anything bad to the Council! Why is she wanted?"

"That's what we're trying to find out." Tidus said.

"Sorry about all of this, Barthello. Thank you for your time." Yuna said.

Kurgum spent the afternoon sending the dead, while Chuami watched him. The others sat themselves at a table in the bar and Yuna placed the flyer on the surface.

"Yunie, do you know about the guy that took Dona?" Rikku asked.

Yuna nodded. "When I was back in Bevelle, I wasn't met with the Council. There was a sender, an older man with a black cloak, that said he was the assistant of Baralai, but… I knew he was lying. I tried warning him about the hybrid fiends and how the resurrected dead were turning, hoping he would give word to the Council members. He said he was once a summoner before the Calm started, and he stopped after realizing he only cared about the people he'd lost. It wasn't about Sin. He just wanted to bring his loved ones back."

"How foolish…" Lulu said quietly.

"Well… he said he'd discovered something… he can create things with the pyreflies. Not just aeons… but anything he wanted. Anything the pyreflies had the capability of doing. The fayth stripped him of his summoning powers afterwards. Now… he heard the Farplane was in turmoil, and he said he'd regained those powers as a result of it. But… what I don't understand is… how can he use their power if the fayth aren't here on Spira? It has only been regular people that have come back, but… none of the fayth have returned."

Tidus shifted uncomfortably. "Actually… they have returned…"

Everyone turned their heads towards him. He was looking at the floor.

"What… do you mean?" Yuna asked.

"When we were back at Bikanel, I took a long walk in the desert, and I came across what I thought were the ruins of Home. I can't actually tell if what I was seeing was real, but the fayth… they looked like they were in danger. One of them looked me in the eye and was begging for help. I didn't know what to say to them, and then they were just gone. As if they weren't there in the first place. I was starting to believe it actually was just a dream, but I was completely awake, and I asked myself why they would come to where we just crash-landed and ask for our help if it was just a dream."

Yuna stared at him. She liked hearing his words again, even if it was about something particularly melancholy. She was deep in thought for a minute.

"But… what does a sender want with a former summoner?" Rikku asked.

Yuna tried to find a way to answer her. She'd have to reveal some information she tried to keep secret for a long time, and she didn't want Tidus hearing. However, the world was entering a time of war against a combination of suffering and death. It wasn't going to be about her anymore, or about him.

"Before I was unconscious, I heard that sender asking me for my help. He said he wanted to use the energy of the fayth to create great things, and… allow the people to reunite with their loved ones. He wanted my help, but I refused because as we've already seen, the returned dead were fated to turn into those atrocities, and it would be a death sentence for Spira. If I wouldn't help him, then he must've turned to the other former summoners. I don't know what he's planning on doing with them, or how he's going to grant his wish, but we need to find him and eliminate any plans he has."

"So… we're going back to Bevelle?" Tidus asked.

"Yes. That's where I believe he has his tools to make this project a reality. We will leave for Luca in the morning to find Gippal, and possibly retrieve another airship."

"And fix up our cool inventions!" Rikku added.

Yuna and Tidus spent the night in separate rooms. Tidus tried talking to her before going to bed, but she was already in her room before he could have the chance to. He sighed and closed the door to his own room.

Wakka was staring out his room window, watching the stars twinkle and feeling the cool air on his skin. He was awaiting Lulu's lecture about being gone for the amount of time he was, and for not telling her about where he'd be to keep her from worrying. He heard the door open.

"Oh, hey Lu."

She was quiet. Wakka nervously scratched the back of his head and avoided her gaze.

"Hey, I'm… sorry I've been gone for so long. This trip's taking longer than I expected, ya?"

"It's okay."

"And I… wait, really?"

"Well, what did you think I was going to say? That it's your fault Sin came back and made your journey longer?"

"No, but… I thought you'd be mad for not being back on Besaid with you guys."

"Why would I be mad about that? I gave you permission to go and guard Yuna. You don't need my approval in the first place, anyway. You're an adult, remember?"

"Right, but what I mean is… I thought you'd want me to be home."

"Wakka, I'm not angry with you for this journey being longer than expected. Especially not after what you all had to experience." She said it calmly, and reassuringly.

"Okay, I just wanted to be sure."

Her eyes were fixated on the floor, and she stood without a word. Wakka was worried he'd said something she didn't want him to.

"How… how are you doing?" she asked him.

She turned and looked into his gentle brown eyes.

"I'm okay, I mean… I'm kinda shook up, ya? I really didn't expect Sin to come outta nowhere, and I think everyone else took it harder than I did. Yuna and Tidus, they stopped talking to each other. Gaia found out she's an unsent. Rikku saw that her family's been sent back to Bikanel because of Yevon and the whole thing with Sin. Everybody's kinda going through their own thing, ya?"

"And what about you?" Lulu asked.

"I kinda just wanna go home. I can't, of course, because I gotta help figure this whole thing out and fight Sin with Yuna again, but… I've been missing you, ya?"

Lulu walked closer to him. She stood on tiptoe and surprised him by connecting her lips with his. His eyes shot open as she deepened the kiss. She pressed her body against him and tugged at the edge of his top, prompting him to remove it. Lulu broke their kiss and rubbed her hand against his bare chest. She could feel his heart racing.

"I missed you too." she admitted. He moved his hands from her hips to the back of her dress. He kissed her like his life depended on it and they toppled over on the bed. Wakka rolled his body on top of hers, panting heavily, his necklace dangling over her. Her sudden want and need for him to satisfy her was so unexpected, it almost made him anxious to continue. He completely threw out the idea of having a talk about his pestering feelings with Lulu like Gaia advised for this instead. It was arousing to him how much she was asking for it. He unbuckled his belt and watched with lustful eyes as she slid off her dress before kissing her again.

Tidus stared into the sphere pool, more than ready to jump into the game. He twirled a blitzball on the tip of his finger and impressed some nearby fans. They were chanting his name and cheering for his team, the Zanarkand Abes. He waved to a couple of them and winked at some of the females.

"Thank you, yes I'll do this when I see you." He said, waving his arms in the air.

The game started and Tidus played his heart out. He snatched the ball, threw opponents out of the sphere pool, and did his own signature moves. The crowd called his name as their score kept increasing. Tidus hadn't felt this great about a game in years. As he was about to score, he paused and squinted at the surroundings outside of the sphere pool. Someone – no – some _thing_ was watching him. Sin was looking at him from the edge of the city, but it wasn't attacking. It was locked in a mental stalemate with him. Tidus felt a surge of panic suppress him and he turned around to find that he was no longer in the sphere pool. He was staring at the sacred ruins back in Spira where many people lost their lives. However, there was something different about where he was standing. He could see that there was an "invisible" barrier separating that Zanarkand from his. Tidus turned his head back to see his home, then focused his vision on the Zanarkand a thousand years forward in time parallel to it.

He stuck his hand through the barrier. It felt almost like he was putting his hand through a thin layer of water. When he did, Tidus heard the awful ringing sound in his ears, and he snatched his hand back. The dark night sky of Zanarkand outlined this entrance to the ruins and Tidus thought of it as some kind of break in time separating his Zanarkand from the holy city in Spira. He asked himself, why hasn't he seen this entrance before? Crossing this barrier seemed dangerous to him. He turned back around and the fayth in the purple hood appeared. As he had been in Bikanel, he was struggling to keep himself standing and his words were strained.

"Who's doing this to you? Why are you in pain?" Tidus asked.

The fayth stopped struggling and looked him in the eye.

"Yuna…" they said. "Please… we need her help…"

"Why? What's she doing? She's not doing all of this, is she?" the fayth didn't answer him. The lights coming from the city miles away from the entrance to the Zanarkand ruins morphed into glittering eyes. The rest of the fayth stepped out of the darkness and started walking towards him. They looked desperate, and as if they'd been working against their physical capabilities.

"Tell Yuna…" the purple-hooded one said.

"T-tell her w-what?" Tidus was being forced back by the fayth walking closer to him.

"To find us…" The fayth faded into their ghostly forms and came flying towards him. He felt a strong burst of energy when they fused with his body and he was thrown back across the barrier between the two Zanarkands. His eyes opened.

When he woke up, he didn't feel scared like he did with the previous dreams. He felt a mixture of confusion and relief. Tidus was glad seeing the fayth in Bikanel wasn't a hallucination, but he wondered why he was still in contact with them. The fayth were still MIA, and if they weren't, then Tidus didn't understand why they'd reach out to him when Yuna was the one that gained power from them. They said to tell Yuna to find them. Why weren't they in her dreams instead? While he was thinking about it, he heard the sound of loud whispering coming from outside his room. Either the walls of the Inn weren't very thick, or the people weren't good at whispering. Kurgum and Chuami were having a discussion outside his window.

"I-I'm sorry, Chuami, I-I just can't deny it anymore…" Kurgum was crying as he said this to his friend.

"Kurgum, you really want to do this now? During the freaking apocalypse?" Chuami said.

"I can't help it! I… I'm in love with her…"

"She has a boyfriend."

"I know, that's what makes it even worse."

Tidus started to feel slight anger rising.

"Kurgum, can you please put your fantasies on hold while we figure out how to save the world?"

"Chuami, it's a summoner thing, and I can't just 'put it on hold'. You wouldn't understand. Sorry, but whatever's been going on between us can't continue." Chuami was annoyed at Kurgum for even thinking she had any feelings towards him besides the pesky brother figure. She sighed in frustration at his diversion from the most important task they've faced.

"Am I the only one that's completely focused on this mission here?"

"No! Don't you remember saying the reason you were interested in working with them was to ask them for information about Sir Auron?"

Chuami was about to protest, but she did remember saying that.

"I… I don't think they'll have any important things to say about my father. They only knew him for the duration of Yuna's pilgrimage, which was not very long."

Tidus choked.

"It doesn't hurt to ask, Chaumi." Kurgum said.

"I know, but I'll wait until everything's calmed down."

Tidus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Auron's child? How could none of the crew have known about this? Tidus knew Auron wasn't one to talk of his past, but this was a completely different story. It just didn't seem likely that Auron was unaware of his own child, and if he did know of her, he didn't seem like one to keep something of such significance a secret. Tidus thought about it and decided Chuami's need for information about her father could be useful to him in the near future. Then he went back to being angry at Kurgum for his feelings towards Yuna.

 **A/N: Fun Fact: The English voice actor for Wakka also voices Bender from Futurama.**


	14. Bad Blood

**Bad Blood**

The temperature was warm and the sun shone bright. Thin lines of cloud streaked the sky and a slight breeze was blowing. The air was calm, and so was Luca. When the crew arrived, only a small portion of inhabitants roamed the area. The streets were quiet, the stands were empty, and even the stadium was almost deserted. There wasn't a game playing, an unusual thing for Luca. The boat docked at dock five, where shipments of cargo remained untouched. They piled up high and the crew had to jump over them after getting off the boat.

"Why are these here? Shouldn't someone have already picked them up?" Rikku asked quietly. Inscribed on the edges of the boxes were various shipping addresses in the Al Bhed alphabet. Rikku guessed the people once again considered them as taboo and avoided touching them. All of the small businesses have been boarded up, or shut down entirely. The screens that hung from the ceilings were offline, and some were cracked. There were no signs of Rikku's kin on the surface.

"Where is everybody?" Tidus asked.

"Um… I'm not sure. I hope they're still there…" Rikku said.

"Who?" Yuna asked.

"Follow me." Rikku said. They walked around the premises, passing each dock. The ships were left without a crew, still attached to the docks. They spotted two children, a boy and girl, sitting in a dark corner, dirtied and ragged, and looked as if they hadn't been fed in days. The boy was laying in the arms of the girl, coughing and wheezing. Gaia lagged behind the crew and walked towards them.

"Are you two okay? Where are your parents?" she asked.

"Mommy said she'll be back soon." The girl said.

"When did she say that?"

The child shrugged. Gaia noticed bread crumbs around them, pieces of their clothes were torn off, and the coughing child had spit up all over his shirt. His body was small and frail, and his face lacked color. He was shivering vigorously and breathing short breaths out of his mouth. Gaia bent down in front of him. She put her hand on the boy's forehead. The girl got up and pulled him away.

"Leave him alone!"

"It's okay, I won't hurt him. I just wanted to make sure he was okay. His forehead is burning. He's very sick, you see?" The girl calmed herself.

"I know he's sick."

"We should go get him some help."

The girl shook her head. "Mommy said to wait here until she came back. She'll be back soon. She promised."

"How long have you two been here?" Gaia asked.

"I dunno. Mommy went to get medicine for my brother, and she told us to wait here 'til she got back."

Gaia looked at the party. They all had concerned faces for the two children. The boy couldn't even move on his own, and the girl didn't look too healthy herself. Gaia had the idea that they might've been abandoned.

"Rikku, do you know where we can find some medicine?" Gaia asked.

Rikku perked her head up. "Uh… y-yes! W-we have a tent around the corner where we keep some medical supplies and emergency stuff."

Gaia held her arms out for the boy. The girl stepped back and hugged her brother.

"It's okay, I told you I won't hurt him. We're here to help."

"But Mommy said-"

"We'll find her, but first we have to get some medicine for your brother. He needs it fast." The girl seemed to trust Gaia's intentions. Gaia picked up the small child and was surprised by how light he was. When she walked with him, with the young girl walking next to her, another long lost memory occurred in her mind.

The crew walked a couple of blocks around the area before approaching a large, old tent. The title of the business that was spelled in Al Bhed was spray painted with black lettering that read the word "heathens". On the side of the tent were "traitors", "infidels", and some vulgar language that made Yuna very angry to read. Rikku stepped in first.

"Hello? Gippal? Shinra? Anybody?" she tripped over a thin string and fell on the floor with a loud thud. Guns popped out of the ground, out from hidden places under the tent ceiling, and a voice on a small speaker on the counter spoke.

"Fru'c drana? Mayja yd uhla, un bnabyna du pa crud!"

Rikku got on her feet. "Brother! What do you think you're doing? You can't just threaten people when they walk in here!"

"Rikku?" The guns were put away and a small hatch on the ground behind the counter opened. Out came Brother, nervous and shaking from the sudden tension.

"What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"We've got two sick kids over here. We need medicine and some food, so make yourself useful and get us some!"

"Why should I help you?" Brother said, crossing his arms.

"Please, brother, he may be dying. They've been stranded here for who knows how long." Yuna told him.

Brother gasped. "Say no more! Come with me, and we'll get the stuff!"

He started down the ladder through the hatch. Rikku rolled her eyes and followed him along with Yuna. Tidus wanted to talk to her that morning about his dream but wasn't able to because Kurgum was talking with her once again. Now he had the chance to.

"Hey Yu-" he began.

"Miss Yuna, would you like me to accompany you?" Kurgum asked. Yuna looked at him, then back at Tidus. She didn't know who to answer first.

"Oh, did… did you want to…?" she asked Tidus.

Tidus gestured to leave it alone. "No, that's okay, you guys go ahead."

Yuna gave him an unsatisfied look before following her two cousins down the hatch with Kurgum behind her. Before the hatch closed, Rikku perked her head up.

"Hey, Wakka?" Rikku said.

"Yeah?"

"This is kind of embarrassing to ask, but could you… keep an eye on the tent? I'm kind of paranoid, after seeing what they did to it, and my crazy brother's reaction, and I doubt anyone would enter if they saw you standing guard."

Wakka laughed. "Oookay, but I warn you, I can be pretty tough, ya?"

"Just don't overdo it!" Rikku said before climbing down the steps. Gaia brought two of the unopened storage boxes together with her legs and laid the boy down. She took her red shawl and gently covered his body with it. He stirred a bit, but didn't open his eyes. The girl sat by his side.

"Is he going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yes, dear, he's going to be just fine." Gaia told her.

Wakka was fascinated by how caring she was towards them. He often had trouble approaching other children.

"You're pretty good at that, ya?" he said to Gaia.

"At what?" she asked.

"Takin' care of 'em."

"Oh… well I was a mother once. My son used to get sick a lot. He was such a fragile little thing. It got so bad to a point where I couldn't leave his side. Those were some of the hardest times parenting. I was still pretty young myself. I don't even know how I managed my other kid."

Wakka chuckled softly. "Still just a kid yourself, ya?"

"That sounds very familiar." Lulu said behind him.

"What's that mean?" Wakka said, playfully.

"It means I'm absolutely certain I have more than one child in my household." Lulu said.

"Hey! I'm a responsible adult… -ish…" Wakka said.

Gaia laughed at them.

"By the way, Lu, who's watching over Vidina?" Wakka said.

"You're just now asking that?" Lulu said.

Wakka put his hands up. "N-no, I was gonna ask earlier… but I know you must've left him in good hands, ya?"

Lulu grinned and turned her head towards the outside of the tent.

"I left him with the Aurochs."

"WHAT?!"

Lulu chuckled. "I'm joking. I'd hoped you'd have that reaction, though."

Wakka laughed nervously and sighed in relief.

The large tent looked miniscule compared to the enormous underground facility located underneath it. After climbing down for what seemed like miles below the surface, Yuna gaped in awe at the large iron shelves stacked from the bottom to at least 10 yards towards the top. The shelves were filled with different inventions, from weapons to electronics, and various prototypes that had yet to be tested. There were also bits and pieces of ruined machinery and broken parts of abandoned vehicles. As they walked further, Yuna saw that there were small leaks in parts of the ceiling. The sound of water drops hitting the floor became louder and louder.

"Brother, haven't you thought about fixing those leaks before the place starts to floor? You know water and technology don't go together, right?" Rikku said.

Brother scoffed. "Of course! We're working on it!"

Kurgum slipped on a small puddle. He held onto a shelf and knocked a few things over. The rest of them shot him a look.

"I'm okay…" he said.

They came across a couple of storage crates that said "medicine" in Al Bhed. Brother picked one of the boxes and brought it down. He started searching through the different jars and vials.

"By the way, where's Gippal?" Rikku asked.

Brother ignored her and continued reading each of the labels.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. Where's Gippal?"

Brother mumbled a couple of words while he searched through the crate. Rikku got annoyed and sat right in front of him.

"BROTHER!"

He squealed and jumped back a little, clutching the jar of medicine to his chest.

"What?! What?! What do you want?! I'm not deaf!"

"I asked you a question! Stop ignoring me! I said where's Gippal?"

"Oh him… Yeah, hmm… I don't know."

"You _don't_ know?" Rikku said.

Brother stood up. He walked the opposite direction from where they came.

"Wait, where are you going?" Rikku asked.

Brother walked past the shelves and led them to a spot on a wall where a large hatch with a crank wheel attached to it was. Brother turned the wheel and opened the door. Inside, Shinra was kneeling on the floor and had several of the broken CommSpheres, with some tools in his hands. There were tears that were patched up on his suit and his goggles were cracked. He looked as if he'd been working on his projects for much longer than he intended.

"Fa ryja jecedunc." Brother said to him.

"Nice to see you again." Shinra said.

"And you too." Yuna said. Brother turned around and walked back towards the entrance.

"What's with him?" Rikku asked.

Shinra didn't take his eyes off the damaged CommSphere. "Don't mind him, he's been through a lot these past couple days. Seeing our kind being beaten and chased away from everything we've worked hard for. It really messed him up."

"Yeah, I'll bet…" Rikku said, sadly.

Yuna walked into the room. It was a large shelter, with cots and blankets, and crates full of nonperishable food. There were a lot of cots, but Shinra was the only one in the room.

"What happened?" Yuna asked him.

Shinra put down the tools in his hand. He turned around to remove his goggles and keep the others from seeing his eyes.

"It was a normal day in the Al Bhed community. We run this place, and we felt comfortable staying underground, but we still interacted with the rest of the residents. This is where we house our products for the customers, and our emergency supplies. When we heard the news about Sin, the other people went insane. They rioted against us Al Bhed, they sabotaged all our stuff, and they pushed our people towards the dock, and left them no choice but to jump in the water. They even kidnapped a couple of us…"

Rikku was angry, and felt bad for the kidnapped Al Bhed. She didn't want to think about what the believers in Yevon where doing to them.

"Cid boarded the first boat that originally was sent to deliver a few of our supplies and left with the rest of the Al Bhed crowd. We were stranded here."

"You couldn't catch up to them?" Rikku asked.

"Brother wanted to look after the arsenal. He was worried the crazy people would damage our weapons next. Now, he's decided to use them to defend this tent. I stayed because I wanted to fix my own inventions. I didn't think anyone else would know how to reconstruct them."

Rikku knelt next to him. "Have you heard anything from Gippal?"

Shinra put his goggles back on and sighed, shaking his head.

"Nothing from him, or Baralai, or Nooj. Nobody's heard from them in days. We suspect they might've gone missing."

"Missing? Again?" Yuna said.

"Yes, and after finding out about the attack without knowing what to do, the people left Luca. We've heard them talking about traveling to the Djose temple, where they'd pray to the fayth. They haven't returned since."

"Praying to the fayth?" Rikku said. "W-what do they think the fayth will do?"

"Who knows?" Shinra said. "Maybe they expect the summoners to go back to doing their summoning. However, I'm not sure why they'd think that when the other summoners aren't anywhere in sight either."

"They're missing, too?" Yuna asked.

"They were wanted by the Council, apparently. Signs were put up in some places, looking for them."

"Just like in Kilika…" Rikku said.

"I've been fixing these CommSpheres, and trying them out, but nothing seems to be working. I tried redoing them, but I still can't connect with Bevelle, or anywhere else that I've installed them."

"Well… that's another thing. See, when we were in Bevelle fighting Sin, the other guys were trying to save Yuna. She was almost captured by a deranged Council sender. They accidentally blew up the palace. When we were at Bikanel, we couldn't communicate with the Bevelle CommSphere either." Rikku explained.

"That explains why we can't reach the CommSpheres in Bevelle, but what about the rest of the places?"

"We're still not sure, but we'll figure it out once we locate a spare airship. You wouldn't happen to have an oscillo-finder established here, would you?" Rikku said.

Shinra stood up. "That has to be a rhetorical question."

"What?"

Shinra laughed quietly. "Come this way." They walked out of the room. Yuna stood behind, and took in the emptiness of the shelter. The Al Bhed were chased from Luca before they could reach safety underneath the tent. Those that were kidnapped must've been tormented and cruelly discarded. It was upsetting that they were being treated this way when they've done so much for the rest of Spira. Bringing them technology to make their lives easier, trying to connect with them after being rejected for years. It wasn't fair. Nothing that had happened was.

Yuna heard the sound of the hatch slam shut. She turned around swiftly and found herself alone in the large shelter, with no source of light besides a small incandescent light bulb hanging above her.

Wakka, Gaia, and Tidus were keeping watch outside the tent while Lulu gave the medicine to the children and watched over them while they slept. Chuami was impatiently waiting near the counter. Gaia spotted a blitzball rolling across the stone paths and went to pick it up.

"Hey, Tidus!" He looked up and she tossed the ball to him. It almost slipped out of his hands.

"Woah! Who left this out?" he said.

"Toss it to me!" Gaia waved her hands in the air. Tidus threw the ball to her, and she ran away from him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Tidus yelled.

"You gotta get the ball!" she said.

Gaia ran after him and they started playing the land-based version of blitzball. Wakka observed them. Tidus wasn't in pain, or angry at himself for having the ball taken from him so many times. For the first time since the whole journey started, he was legitimately happy when he was playing. He was happy period. Wakka folded his arms across his chest and smiled at the two. They played rough, but were careful not to bruise each other. Gaia grabbed the ball and started towards the opposite direction. Tidus ran and got in defense mode in front of her. She leapt in the air, spun around and sent the ball flying straight into his chest. Tidus slid back a couple feet and dropped the ball, his hand clutching his torso.

"Are you okay?" Gaia said.

Tidus very weakly held his thumb up.

Wakka laughed and walked towards them. "He's got a gut made of steel, ya?"

"You gotta show me some moves sometime." Tidus said, panting.

"Looks like I've got myself a fan. I guess I've still got it." Ava said.

"Yeah, can I like have your autograph?" Tidus joked.

"Sure!" Gaia ran towards the tent, searched through the drawers of the counter, and pulled out a permanent marker. She scribbled her name on the blitzball.

"Done, and done." She said. She tossed the blitzball to Tidus.

"Hey, Wakka, wanna play?" Tidus said. Wakka held up his hand.

"Nah, that's alright, I gotta keep watch on the tent, ya?"

Tidus looked at the others. "Lulu? Chuami?"

"You know I don't play that game." Lulu said.

"I… I've never played before." Chuami said.

"I'll show you!" Tidus told her.

"I'll play too!" Brother said.

While they played, Wakka and Gaia stood a few feet away from the tent, watching over the vicinity. Wakka occasionally turned his head towards Lulu. She was content on watching over the two sleeping children. When their eyes met, they both looked away shyly.

"You and Lulu sure had a great conversation last night." Gaia told him.

Wakka blushed. "You heard that, huh?"

Gaia smiled at him. "Every 'word'. I'm assuming you guys saved the talking for later?"

"We talked a little. I asked her if she was angry at me for being away for so long. She said she wasn't, so that was that, ya?"

"Did you talk to her about what you told me the other night?"

Wakka looked at the ground. "No… I didn't get to that part."

"Why not?"

"You know why not."

"But you said it's been bothering you for a year now. Don't you think you should put being intimate on hold to talk about that stuff with her?"

Wakka stood back. "Woah, there, whatever I do with Lulu is my business, ya?"

"I'm just saying, man. You told me whenever you tried to talk to her about what's going on in your head, you choke. You end up doing it instead. Don't you think you should change that?"

"That _is_ how we communicate, ya? Anytime we get upset about anything, we… you know. It makes us feel better 'bout whatever's wrong afterwards."

Gaia sighed loud enough for Wakka to notice.

"That a bad thing?" he asked her.

"No, I just think you two should hear each other out." She replied.

"Don't worry 'bout me, ya? Really."

"Oookay."

Tidus walked over to them, sweating and panting.

"W-what's taking them so long?" he asked.

"If you're worried about Yuna, you should go check on her." Gaia told him.

Yuna was unsettled by the silence within the room. The walls reverberated her steps. She knocked on the hatch, hoping the others would hear her, but nobody answered after several minutes. There was no door handle on the other side of the hatch, which confused her greatly. She sat in front of the door, distracted by her thoughts. The Council members were missing again, former summoners were being taken, and almost the entire population of Luca had traveled to Djose temple and didn't return. With the arrival of Sin, and the ongoing hybrid fiend infestation, Yuna found herself in a conundrum. What was tying these things all together? How were they related? Then, Yuna came to a brief conclusion: it had to be all connected to her.

Yuna heard a ghostly sound in the room. She pressed her hand against her chest.

"H-hello?" she said.

She could see twinkling stars – pyreflies – at the opposite side of the large shelter. She looked closely towards the end of the room. She could see a very faint outline of a person. The person walked clumsily towards her. Yuna wasn't sure if this person was there before she was trapped in the room, but it was large enough that she couldn't have seen them. She spoke to the person, but she heard a growling response, and the person revealed razor-sharp teeth. Foamed at the mouth, the person pointed towards Yuna, trying to form actual words, but instead released noises. Yuna walked backwards and felt her back hit against the hatch. She could see more people similar to the rabid person come out from the same direction. She ran towards the east side of the shelter. More pyreflies formed more vicious, zombified people. They came from all directions and came closer to Yuna. The sounds they made were pained moans, and Yuna saw they had no eyes in their sockets, and their limbs were scratched and scarred. Yuna's lip trembled, her heart beating rapidly. She could see her father in the crowd of zombies, along with Auron and Jecht. There was no sign of humanity in them. She was whimpering and sank to the floor on her knees. She held her hands over her ears to block out the moaning. It was louder and became a unified, bloodcurdling scream. Tears ran down her face.

"Please… stop…" she begged. The rabid ghosts that were gathered around her obeyed. They disappeared and Yuna looked up to see none other than Tidus. He had the pyreflies flowing through his body, and he was staring down at her in tears.

"No…" Yuna slid back from him.

"How could you, Yuna? How could you do this to us? After everything we've done for you! How could you hurt us like this?! You betrayed us! You betrayed all of Spira!" Tidus's screams bounced off the shelter walls and felt almost like they were trapping Yuna. She fell forward onto the floor and cried.

The hatch was finally opened.

"Yuna!" The real Tidus ran to her and held her in his arms. She clung onto him, and sobbed quietly into his chest.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry…" she said. Tidus comforted her the best he could, and the others stood quietly behind, without the slightest idea of what to say.


	15. Pandora's Box

**Pandora's Box**

When Yuna and her guardians watched Sin disperse into millions of souls and Tidus leap off the airship, they were sure they'd finally conquered Spira's suffering and brought the long-awaited Calm to not just the residents of Spira, but to the fayth. Yuna believed in herself despite the hypocrisy of Yevon's teachings and the corrupted system of the maesters. She was held to such high expectations by everybody, and she'd promised her father that she would continue his legacy. At that moment, when she saw the monstrosity appear in Bevelle, she knew she'd been wrong about at least one thing. Sin truly was a part of Spira's destiny, whether it'd be because of the Final Aeon, somebody beckoning it back into the world, or even the fears and anxieties of everyone around her. Sin didn't have to be physically present, it still lived within the minds of the poor people. Yuna was starting to wonder if rejecting the tradition was its own form of false hope. Then, she saw her father, Auron, Jecht, and Tidus, and they made it completely clear to her: everything that'd happened, the hybrid fiends, the fayth's suffering, the kidnapping of summoners, the sender's intentions, and most importantly to her, Tidus, had been because of her. She didn't want to continue into this journey knowing this fact, but fate itself wasn't giving her a choice. She kept thinking about this while Tidus tried comforting her.

"It's alright, Yuna." he said. He knew something had been wrong by the way she didn't respond to him. She was thinking unproductive thoughts, blaming herself for the situation at hand and dwelling in the past. She knew Tidus wouldn't be saying everything was alright if he'd knew half the things she'd done. Making him believe he was real for an entire year while he'd spent that time physically hurting, feeling unimportant, and neglected by her attention, was the worst thing she could've done to somebody she claimed she loved. She was starting to ask herself if it was really worth having him back if all these things were to come because of it. She wasn't the only one who was thinking this. Tidus had been pondering his existence since the moment he'd discovered he was dead and that Yuna witnessed his demise. He knew she was keeping things from him, maybe it was for his own safety, but he started to feel like he couldn't talk to her because of it. He wanted very badly for things to be like they used to between them.

"Do you... wanna talk about it?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Tidus removed his arms from her and remained sitting next to her, hugging his knees.

"You know I'm always here for you, right?" he said.

"Of course." she said.

"You wanna take a walk or something?"

"I don't think that's going to help this time."

"It might. You never know."

She looked at him. His eyes sparkled with sincerity and he gave her the same small smile she did when she was trying to reassure him. She nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

She grasped his hand and he led her back up the hatch.

Rikku and Shinra were observing the oscillo-finder. In the past couple minutes they've been looking, no signal had appeared.

"Come on, give me something." Rikku muttered to herself.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up too high," Shinra said. "We haven't received any signal since the Council members went missing."

"There's gotta be something out there." Rikku put in several different coordinates. Nothing was happening, and she was starting to worry. She couldn't think of any other option.

"How's Yuna doing?" Shinra asked.

"She's a little shaken, but she'll be alright. She's tough." Rikku said.

"She looks like this adventure's bringing her down."

"It's bringing all of us down. Even my dad, and he's gotta be the strongest guy I know."

Shinra sighed heavily, something he only did when he was deep in thought.

"Sin's back, huh? I was sure after Yuna came back from fighting it that things were going to change, for us and for them. That we can learn to get along with each other and help each other out in life. But now... it feels like things just can't be any other way. We're doomed to stay hidden from the world."

Rikku turned her head towards him.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a monologue. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Maybe it's all the time I spend alone."

Rikku put her hand on his head.

"Well, once we get this thing over with, everything will go back to normal and you don't have to spend all that time by yourself anymore."

"I hope so." he replied.

At that moment, a small dot appeared on the CommSphere. Rikku jumped on it.

"Hold on, we're getting a signal! But... where's it going?"

The dot was circling a particular area very clumsily. It was going forward and then changing course in that one second. It looked as if the driver couldn't make up their mind about which direction to travel.

"Somebody's flying our ship. Not well, though." Shinra said.

"Who? It can't be Pop, or Brother."

"Who else knows how to fly a ship as well as you, or them?" Shinra asked.

Rikku thought for a minute.

"Only Gippal but... you said you guys haven't heard from them at all, and the Council members went missing. Why did this signal just pop up now if he'd been missing this whole time?"

Rikku pulled up the information on the signal's whereabouts. It was trying to leave Bevelle, but something seemed to be stopping it. The pilot must've been trying to dodge an attack from Sin, or any of the other hybrid fiends.

"Gippal was in Bevelle the last time we'd heard." Shinra said. "That has to be him."

Rikku breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, whatever's he's been doing this whole time, hopefully he can muster some strength to give us a ride back there." Rikku brought up the digital keyboard and started typing a message, hoping to hear back.

"He'd sure do anything for you." Shinra said, quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Yuna and Tidus appeared outside of the tent where the rest of the crew was taking a break from the tension. Gaia was staring at the birds flying above them, taking in the smell of the ocean and the breeze blowing through her locks. Wakka and Lulu were both keeping an eye on the two kids while Brother and Chuami were talking about blitzball. Kurgum approached Yuna.

"Uh... Miss Yuna? Sorry about that, I thought you wanted some time alone."

"It's alright, Kurgum. I've taken that time to get some things out of my system so I thank you for that."

Kurgum scratched the back of his head. "Oh... I'm glad."

Tidus's grip tightened slightly on Yuna's hand.

"We should go." he said. She nodded. Before they could walk any further, Wakka called after them.

"Hey, where do you two think you're going?"

"For a walk around the place." Tidus said.

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"What could possibly go wrong?" Tidus said.

"You forget about those monsters? And Sin?" Wakka said.

"What, you don't trust me to protect Yuna and myself?"

"Not on your own, I don't."

Tidus groaned in frustration.

"It's okay, Wakka. If there's any trouble, we can come and retrieve you guys." Yuna said.

Wakka crossed his arms. "Alright, you better keep her safe, ya?"

"Yeah, man." said Tidus.

Though it was quiet and desolate, Tidus could still hear the crowds cheering from that time he won the tournament with the Aurochs. He wished he could've seen the Goers' faces when the announcer called the Aurochs' victory. He missed the excitement and the confidence he had when he played. Two years was all it took for that to be taken away from him. Two whole years. A lonely blitzball was rolling in the distance and Tidus went to grab it.

"Hey, Yuna, catch!" Yuna woke up from her daydream and caught the ball.

She laughed.

"Come on, let's play."

"But I don't know how." she said.

"I'll show you."

She nodded to him. He started explaining to her the basics: how to throw the ball, how to kick it, how to intercept a pass, everything he remembered from his first days of practicing. Yuna kept nodding but he wasn't sure it was registering in her head.

"Now you try. Kick it towards me."

She did as he asked but her skirt made it difficult to effectively kick the ball. She sighed.

"I can't do it."

"Sure you can, come on, try it again."

Several more attempts and Yuna started to feel frustrated. She couldn't understand what he meant by all the sports language he was speaking. She eventually grew frustrated enough to send the ball soaring. Tidus gaped at the ball, his mouth open.

"Woah..."

"I did it!" Yuna said, surprising herself. Tidus smiled and ran after the ball. Once it was in his arms, he fled the area.

"Where are you going?" Yuna said.

"You gotta catch me!"

Laughter was in the air as Yuna chased him around the parameter, trying to tackle him. He was as fast a runner as he was a swimmer and Yuna had to stop several times to catch her breath. She sat on her knees as she panted heavily. Tidus was concerned and he walked back up to her, ball in hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She smiled and grabbed him. She pried the ball out of his hands, half her body on top of his. He laughed and they wrestled each other for the ball. Tidus grabbed it with one hand and wrapped an arm around her body.

"I win!"

"I don't think so!" she tried releasing herself from his grip but he was fairly strong and held her in place. She gave up after a couple minutes.

"Alright, you win." she said.

They looked into each other's eyes, both sparkling with happiness. It was the first time in a long time that they were able to do something as relaxed as playing the shortest game of blitzball without a care in the world. Yuna rested her head on his chest as she laid on his body. Tidus placed a kiss on her forehead. If he were to leave the world at this moment with the girl he loved with him, he would depart with no regrets.

"Sorry I didn't teach you back in Besaid." he said.

"It's alright, sorry I couldn't give you the time of day. You know, responsibilities and stuff."

"I guess both of us have been caught up in our own lives and our own jobs to do, and we really haven't had any time for each other."

Yuna sighed as she adjusted her head on his chest. "I know, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Tidus said.

Yuna held her breath as she listened to his heartbeat, but it wasn't there. Her smile fell.

"I miss us..." she said.

Tidus said nothing and they relished in the sound of the waves crashing and the seagulls calling, thinking about the past and how much they've grown apart since Tidus's disappearance. Yuna wanted very much to reestablish that spark they had when they first met. She just didn't have the time. After a while, they got up and walked to the edge of the dock. Tidus watched the colors in the sky shift from blue to orange and the watched the reflection of the sun dance off the water.

"What would you have done if you didn't become a summoner?"

Yuna looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Like what would you have done instead?"

"Probably become another disciple. I would've wanted to continue following in my father's footsteps and he was a Yevon priest."

"But wouldn't you want more than just repressing your own desires for a false tradition?"

"Like what?"

"You wouldn't have wanted to do something like say, play blitzball?"

"Oh, no, I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Well, just look at me. I'm not exactly built for the sport like you are."

"I wasn't either when I first started. It takes time and practice. You remember when you first became a summoner? It took time for you to get stronger, didn't it?"

"Yeah, you're right."

"Then there you go."

"Well, what would you have done if you didn't decide to play blitzball?"

Tidus thought for a moment. It felt like any other option besides being a blitzball star was completely nonexistent.

"I... don't know. I think ever since I was seven I made it my life's goal to become a blitz star. It kinda felt like if I didn't have blitzball, I didn't have anything."

"That's not true, you have me and all our friends."

"Yeah, but this was back in Zanarkand."

Yuna looked at the floor, her hands behind her back.

"You didn't have anything else back in Zanarkand?"

"Well, I had my mom but... she died when I was a kid. And Auron, he was just kinda there. He looked after me, sure, but I didn't really consider him family, not close family anyways."

"What about your friends?"

"I mean, I just had my teammates but we weren't really close friends either. We didn't really talk much outside of the game. I didn't even remember each of their names when I ended up in Spira."

"But you were famous, right?"

"Yeah, but there's a difference. You understand, don't you? Those people that wave to you everywhere you go, those people that praise you and all you have to do is just show up. It's not like a close friendship, or a relationship where you can share your stories and your pain with one another. It's just... a hi and bye sort of thing."

"I can't say I've always felt like that."

"Have you ever really felt close to those people you met on your Gullwing adventure? Like you could share your memories and your past and trust them with some of your secrets?"

Yuna thought about how hard she'd fought to keep her memories in the Zanarkand ruins, and how much it upset her that strangers were taking the sacred place for granted.

"No... I didn't." she replied.

"I'm not trying to say that those people don't really care, I know they cared a lot about you going off and fighting Sin, but those people... they didn't really know you. They didn't really know me..."

There was a moment of silence between the two. Tidus mentally smacked himself for causing an awkward pause in the longest conversation they'd had in a while. He stretched his arms.

"But you know, when I came to Spira, I feel like things got better for me. I had people around me that cared, and really wanted me around, and not just because I was a star."

"I certainly did." she smiled at him.

"Thanks."

Yuna breathed in the sea breeze. Tidus was right, she felt much better after they decided to walk together.

"Should we head back?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think we should. You know how they are whenever I'm gone for more than two minutes."

"Yeah, Wakka loses his mind."

They both shared a laugh.

"Come on." Yuna said. Tidus took a second to think about their conversation. He felt like they reconnected with each other. He took one last look at the ocean ahead of them before turning around and heading the other way.

"Man, I haven't done exercise like that in a while, I hope I'm not all sore to-" he stopped when he saw that Yuna was staring at a billboard filled with flyers, advertisements, and posters.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Look."

He saw the flyer similar to the one in Kilika, but this time, Isaaru's face was poorly drawn and his name was spelled incorrectly.

"Another one? Is this lunatic mindlessly walking through Spira, collecting these people? How has nobody caught him yet?"

"He's an official Council member, maybe they think he's doing a job. The CommSpheres are down, too, so it's not like anyone could warn the rest of the world about him."

"But they don't see a sender doing something illegal like kidnapping and think to stop it?"

"They wouldn't want to go against the Council."

"Seriously?"

"Remember the maesters?"

Tidus ran his fingers through his hair and sighed in frustration.

"What does he want with them? What's so great about the summoners' powers that he has to steal them?"

Yuna looked at the path ahead of them back to the tent.

"He wants to be able to summon more than just aeons."

"What do you mean?"

Yuna started towards the tent. Tidus took a glance at the flyer before following her. Halfway from where they'd walked to the tent, Tidus stopped and yelled.

"Hey!"

Yuna jerked her head up in time to see a black-hooded figure scurrying away. Tidus tried running after him but Yuna grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" she said.

"We gotta get him!"

"We can't go by ourselves! We should alert the others before-"

"He's getting away, Yuna! Plus, we can handle that guy!"

"But..."

"Come on!"

Tidus grasped her arm and dragged her along with him. Yuna hoped their yelling was heard by the rest of the crew a couple blocks away from them.

The sender led them out of Luca and onto Mi'ihen Highroad. Tidus was running with Yuna and it looked like they would actually capture the sender, but he clearly had other plans for them. Several fiends appeared in front of them. Tidus slashed and Yuna pierced through them with holy magic. They were at a much higher skill level than those hybrid creatures. The sender kept creating more obstacles for them, and they fought their hardest, though Yuna wasn't confident in their abilities alone. Yuna kept healing Tidus before healing herself. In the middle of the road, the sender stopped and stared directly at them, without a word.

"Stop right there! What did you do with those summoners?! Why are you causing a lot of problems around here?!" Tidus demanded.

The sender didn't respond. He did a special movement with his hands and a large gathering of pyreflies appeared in front of him. Standing before Tidus and Yuna was the Chocobo Eater, but it looked like it had a taste for human flesh instead. It glared menacingly at them and roared loud enough to stun them. Tidus quickly casted his Hastega on them. This fiend was much more difficult to defeat than the last time. It swung, caused earthquakes, and even tried grabbing them. Yuna and Tidus were both close to losing and the Chocobo Eater was still in good enough health to kill them off. Suddenly, two arrows appeared and pierced the monster in both of its eyes. The fiend fell on its back as Wakka, Gaia, and Lulu arrived.

"Are you two all right?" Lulu asked, healing them with potions.

"We're fine." Tidus said.

"Woah, where'd this guy come from?" Wakka said. He hit it with his blitzball and put it to sleep. Gaia shot two arrows into its head, flipping it on its back again. Lulu sent it on its last amount of health by using her Waterga fury. Tidus had the last blow by performing a special move he called Blitz Ace. He was proud of that one. Once the monster's pyreflies disappeared, they noticed the sender fleeing the distance.

"Hey... we gotta... we gotta... stop him!" Tidus said, out of breath.

"I think... that you need to rest." Yuna said. Tidus collapsed onto his knees.

"What did you think you were doing, running off like that and trying to fight that man by yourselves?" Lulu scolded.

"You guys gotta be more careful, ya?"

"Sorry, we thought we could catch him." Yuna said.

Tidus tried standing up on his legs. The potions were having a slower effect on him. He pointed his sword towards the direction the sender was traveling.

"Come on." he said. He walked without hearing their answers.

The rest of the crew looked at Yuna, who just shook her head. Tidus was often too stubborn sometimes. They decided to follow his lead. As they were walking, Tidus started to feel something in the air. It felt almost like a bad vibe, or an omen lurking around. Tidus wasn't sure what it was, but it made him shudder as they kept walking along.

They made their way to the gate, where Yuna saw a large portion of the Luca population were gathered in front of two members of the Council Forces. The people were shouting at them, demanding quick responses to their questions.

"Great..." Tidus mumbled. Yuna made her way to them.

"Our families! We haven't seen them in days!"

"What's the Council hiding from us?!"

"May Yevon have mercy on us all!"

"Why can't you let us through, dammit!"

"Where is the chancellor when we need him?!"

"Where's my brother?!"

Yuna turned her head to see Maroda. He looked as though he'd recently been in a fight. Yuna walked up to him.

"Oh, hi, Lady Yuna."

"Isaaru had gone missing, too?"

"Yeah, it was this bastard in a black coat. I tried to stop him, but all of a sudden, I just passed out! I saw him running through these gates earlier, and I would've got to him if these people would let me through!"

Yuna looked at the two guards stationed in front of the gates. One was Lucil, the other was Elma, on two chocobos, blocking the way. They tried responding to the people best as they could.

"Orders are orders! We were told by the Council members not to let anyone through these gates! It's too dangerous!" Lucil said.

"Bullshit!"

"Please, we aren't looking for a fight, we are only doing what we're told! Until we hear from the Council again, we must keep everyone from entering this area!" Elma said.

"Somebody save our poor families!"

Yuna began making her way through the crowd. When the people took notice of her, they stopped their ranting and bowed their head to her. Several of them were whispering her name. Yuna came up to Commander Lucil.

"High Summoner Yuna! What business have you brought here?"

"I've heard there were missing people trapped behind these gates. I've come to ask if I could possibly enter to help retrieve them."

"I'm sorry, Lady Yuna, but trespassing these gates is strictly prohibited."

"I have also been ordered by the Council themselves to complete this task."

"Are... are you certain?"

Yuna nodded. "There is grave danger much worse than Sin itself behind these gates, and I believe it is my, and my former guardians', duty to eliminate it."

Lucil was hesitant. She and Elma opened the gates for Yuna and her crew. As they walked past the hopeful people, Yuna could hear them chanting her name.

"Lady Yuna shall beat Sin and restore peace to Spira once again!" The rest of them began to cheer. It pleased Yuna to know that people hadn't lost faith in her, although they've lost faith in almost everything else.

After walking a couple of meters, Tidus stopped in front of the crowd. The Farplane mist had finally traveled to Mushroom Rock Road in a short amount of time. The rest of the crew noticed it, but Tidus was seeing something completely different. Mushroom Rock Road was no longer dreary, gray, and with miles of lifeless rock. It was much more lively, with beautiful flowers growing along its path and a breathtaking waterfall coming down one of the cliffs. He looked to see the reaction of the others, but they looked as though the view was invisible to them. Tidus was confused and he turned to see Gaia, who had her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide at the beauty of the landmark. She could see it too.


	16. A Shocking Revelation

**A Shocking Revelation**

 _Mushroom Rock Road was always a place of despair and death, with the Crusaders risking everything, and the same outcome happening each time. But as we were walking through that path, something was completely different. It was warm, almost welcoming, and I was conflicted between continuing our journey through this lively place, and not wanting to take a step further. I've never felt that feeling of indecisiveness before in my life._

"Hey, do you guys see that?" Tidus asked.

"See what?" Wakka asked.

Tidus pointed to a cliff in the distance.

"What is it?" Yuna said.

"There's a waterfall." Gaia said.

"No, there isn't." Lulu said.

"You guys can't hear it either?" The sound of the water splashing against the rock was loud.

"I can only hear the sound of you talking." Lulu replied.

"Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about, man."

"What, you guys can't-" Tidus looked down at his body. A bright halo outlined his limbs. He turned to Gaia. The same thing was happening to her.

Tidus wasn't only seeing these things. He was feeling much better without the help of the potions. He wasn't out of breath and the bad vibes he was feeling before was replaced with comfort.

"What's... going on?" Tidus said, quietly.

The crew stood, perplexed by the strange behavior of the two when Wakka caught sight of the escaping sender at the corner of his eye.

"Hey!" he yelled.

"There he is!" Yuna said.

They ran towards the black-hooded figure. Tidus and Gaia were shaken out of their daze and followed their friends. They weren't as fast as the others and found themselves lagging behind.

Their path was cut off by more hybrid fiends. Tidus and Gaia fought hard, and successfully overpowered the monsters without the help of their friends. They kept running, jumping on each platform like it was no problem.

When the two made it to the rest of the crew, they were being attacked by different monsters, both hybrid and non-hybrid. Tidus didn't hesitate. He charged the monsters at full speed, using his Slice and Dice move.

"Wait!" Yuna yelled, but she was amazed. He wasn't taking any damage from the fiends, no matter now hard they tried. Gaia started shooting at it with nonstop arrows, and bought Yuna enough time to heal herself and her friends. Wakka destroyed one of the monsters with his Element Reels move. Gaia finished off the rest of them with an Overdrive move where she launched herself in the air, spun around once, and sent an electrified arrow into the ground, and lightning bolts shot out of the rock into the fiends. The monsters were gone in less than ten minutes.

"Woah..." Wakka said.

"What?" said Tidus.

"You guys didn't get hurt at all, ya?"

Tidus looked at himself. There were no scars, not even a small scratch.

"Huh. I guess you're right."

"Look!" Yuna said.

Eiren was standing ways away from the Djose temple. Tidus planted his feet firmly on the ground. He'd had enough of the sender's games and he attacked head-on. When his sword pierced the sender's chest, there was a moment of silence, and the sender's body disappeared. Tidus stood back, shocked. A maniacal laughter could be heard above them. Eiren was looming on one of the cliffs, his expression much more terrifying than before.

"I see you've stumbled upon the greatest ability of all summoners! The power of illusion, much more effective than magic."

"Wait, that was a fake?!" Tidus yelled.

Eiren gave him a dissatisfied look. "Please tell me you aren't giving the impression that you've fought alongside the high summoner, seen her conjure those aeons, and didn't have the knowledge of this attribute?"

Tidus didn't say anything. Eiren levitated off the ground and came closer.

"Lady Yuna, I see that the effects of this unsent man walking upon Spira have infected him. He is no longer able to maintain the intelligence he once had, or perhaps he'd always been this clueless."

"Hey!" Tidus readied his sword.

"It's not too late, my lady. You must utilize this power for his sake, and for everyone else whom has lost someone dearly close to them. We'd been blessed with these abilities for a reason. We must not abandon our mission. To bring Spira's peace."

"How is what you're doing helping Spira?!" Tidus said. Eiren sighed.

"Lady Yuna, I hold very high thoughts of you, but I'm less confident seeing that you've wasted your time for this man's life." Yuna balled her fists and peered into his eyes, fire sparking in her own.

"That's enough! The people of Spira don't deserve the effects of your selfish actions! This madness is over!"

Eiren looked as though Yuna hurt his feelings with her remarks, but his false offense turned into a sinister laugh.

"No, my dear lady, it is not. It has only just begun."

With that, his eyes glowed and the pyreflies assembled in front of him. Fiends of massive sizes appeared in front of the heroes. The crew managed to eliminate these fiends without any struggle. Eiren sent more. He kept creating more and more fiends until the crew was in danger of completely running out of antidotes.

"I'm disappointed in you, my lady. You've unlocked the true potential of the summoners, and yet you refuse to use your power to its maximum level! If this is the way I'll have to bring this feature out of you, then so be it!"

Eiren captured the pyreflies from the defeated fiends and used them to conjure a grotesque, haunting, and gigantic version of Ixion. Its roar was piercing, its eyes were demonic, and it had first strike. Gaia shot an arrow into it, but Ixion disintegrated it with his Thunder Spark. Tidus charged it and was thrown back by a swing of Ixion's head. Yuna couldn't activate her powers even if she tried. She didn't know how, and she didn't want to. She looked helplessly at her friends. Without any backup plan, Yuna gave them the order to flee. They ran with Ixion behind them, occasionally shooting sparks their way. It was destroying the land in its path, and the crew had to dodge falling debris. Lulu casted a spell on the cliffs above them, hoping it would stop Ixion, but it was invincible. They came closer to the temple and each of them headed inside. Tidus and Gaia were the last ones in, but they ran straight into a wall. This wall wasn't any ordinary wall. When Tidus's vision cleared again, he could see a thin, watery line separating himself and Gaia from the rest of the group. It surrounded the entire temple. Tidus tried to break a hole in it with his fist and felt pain surge through his arm. It was like he'd just touched an electric fence. Gaia tried calling to her friends but they couldn't hear her through the barrier. The two turned around slowly as they heard Ixion growling behind them.

Yuna froze at what she saw inside the temple. The entire rest of the population was stationed inside, ragged, starved, and traumatized. The life was brought back to their faces once they'd seen Yuna. She turned around to the rest of her crew.

"Where... where's Tidus?" she said, trying to catch her breath.

Ixion cornered the two. Tidus didn't know how to defeat it, nor did he have anyplace to run. Gaia was out of luck as well.

"You will not last, you insignificant fool." Eiren said to Tidus. "And now-"

He stopped when he caught sight of Gaia. She was terrified, and holding her hand against her chest.

"It's... you..." Eiren said, with slight disbelief. "You... would fight against _me_?"

"What...?" she breathed.

"STOP!"

Yuna came marching out of the temple.

"Spare their lives." she said.

"Or what?"

Eiren was elated at what happened next. Yuna was so infuriated with him that her eyes began to glow. Before she knew it, she gave into Eiren's suggestion and created an entity with wings, scales, and a fiery tale. Eiren observed the two monsters fight. Ixion was pushed back by Yuna's creation. It breathed fire onto Ixion's skin and the corrupted aeon flinched. The airborne creature whacked it with its tail and charged its next move. Before Ixion had a chance to perform Thor's Hammer, the fiend sped into the air then came crashing down, smashing the aeon. Ixion perished. Yuna's creation dispersed, and she fell against the rocky path, worn out by the summoning. Lulu and Wakka came to her aid. Eiren was in awe.

"I knew from the moment I saw you here, when those humanlike manifestations first roamed Spira, that you were the missing link to my grand plan. I was hesitant to approach you with my intentions, but after seeing you here, watching you create that glorious monster, my faith has been restored in you."

Wakka grabbed his blitzball and stood up, like he was trying to intimidate the sender. However, he knew better than to attack the levitating sorcerer with intense power. Eiren lifted his arms up.

"Farewell, Lady Yuna. Until next time we see each other." He vanished before anyone could do anything else.

Yuna was breathing fine, but her strength had drained when she unintentionally created the monster. She wasn't sure it actually happened. Everything seemed to be spinning out of control, and she was finding it hard to grasp what was going on around her. Lulu saved the last couple of potions and gave one to her, restoring her stamina. When Yuna came to, she was horrified at what she'd done. All the time she'd taken to keep this power hidden from Tidus, from her friends, from everybody. Now she'd made herself a danger to everyone around her.

"Yuna?" Lulu said. "Are you alright?"

"I... think so... I just... I don't know what I just did, or... how I did it. But I never want to do it again. It felt so... awful."

"It's okay, you didn't mean to do it." Lulu said.

"But I still did and... I feel like such a fool for allowing him to provoke me like that."

"Hey, he can say whatever he wants, don't let it get to you. We'll get him." Wakka said. Yuna stood up on shaky legs.

"You're right." she said. "We should help these people. They look like they've been stuck here for a long time."

Yuna walked into the temple while Tidus stood outside, awaiting her return, thoughts swarming through his mind. He looked at the hand he used to break the field. It was fading for one second, then it stopped.

There was a large variety of people in the temple. They were huddled against each other, some of them kneeling in prayer. There were children, adults, and elderly. They looked almost as damaged as the Al Bhed fugitives. When they saw Yuna again, they felt as though their prayers have been answered.

"Lady Yuna has come to rescue us."

"'Tis truly the blessing of Yevon."

"Praise be to Yevon!"

Yuna gave them a small but sincere smile. She took what little she had in medicine and started handing one out to each of the people. Yuna caught sight of a Guado woman in the corner, avoiding the rest. She walked over with a small potion.

"Oh, hello, Lady Yuna."

"Take some of this, it'll help you."

The woman drank the potion and some of her wounds began healing. It was nice to have some refreshing liquid after being dehydrated for days.

"Could you tell me about what has happened?" Yuna said.

"I... I came here to pay my respects to my niece. She was a Crusader years ago and was taken by Sin. When I came here, I found I wasn't the only one. There were others coming from Luca to visit for the same reason. I'd heard rumors about the dead returning to be with their families, but... I never believed them. It seemed like calling people back from the dead was taboo itself. But then... I started to think more of it. I... truly missed my dear niece. She was like the daughter I never had. But all of a sudden, there she was. Right in front of me. I couldn't believe my eyes but... I went over to embrace her nonetheless. But then she... wasn't herself anymore. I don't know why, but... in one second she was my quirky little niece, and in the next, she was... a monster."

The Guado woman shivered when she remembered the experience. It was truly an awful sight. Yuna sat next to her and tried comforting her.

"It's alright, ma'am." she said.

"She wasn't the only one, though. All the other family members had the same thing happen to their relatives. Then, we were completely surrounded by those horrible creatures. We couldn't run, so we hid in the temple. I can't seem to explain it, but there's some kind of boundary around the area. It was keeping the fiends from entering the temple. We'd lost a couple people that assumed it was safe and tried escaping. We've been... trapped here ever since."

"I'm very sorry." Yuna said.

"You know the worst part? I had to leave my son back in Guadosalam. I... haven't been able to let him know I'm alright. I... hope he's okay. I hope he doesn't think I ended up like his father..."

"You mean, your son, Bayal?"

The woman looked at her. "Yes... how do you know?"

"We had to visit Guadosalam and take care of some business. We ran into him on the way."

"Was he... was he safe?" she asked.

Yuna hesitated a second. "Yes, we made sure he was perfectly safe."

The Guado woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Wakka and Lulu were guarding the area outside while Yuna was talking with the people. Wakka turned his head and saw Gaia observing the newest addition to the Djose temple. A memorial was put up for many of the fallen Crusaders, ranging from the most recent to as far as decades ago. It was originally thought up by the Youth League, but wasn't actually established until the Council was formed. Of course, many people rejected the idea of having it put up where the temple was. Everything the Crusaders stood for still irked some of them to this present day. Gaia was reading each of the names. Wakka came up next to her.

"These were the Crusaders that gave their lives, ya?" he said.

"I wonder if they'll go back to doing their thing now that Sin's back."

"Not if we can stop it."

"They have reason to fight again now that isn't just Sin."

"Yeah, but they won't have to."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just am."

"But it wouldn't hurt, having them around to help us out. We can't be everywhere at once."

"Yeah, but we're better off not sendin' people to die, ya?"

"It wouldn't be sending them off to die, they volunteered to fight Sin in the first place. We're not forcing them to fight."

"I just don't think it's a good idea."

"You sure sound like you're against this whole thing. Is it because the Crusaders used machina? Everyone was upset at them for that."

"No, I mean I was at first but... it's not just that."

Gaia looked at him. "Then what is it?"

Wakka tried very hard to avoid talking, or even thinking about this subject. Oftentimes, he was lectured about not allowing the past to remain where it belonged. Not just by Lulu, but by several people he'd associated with while being the village elder. Still, he wanted to get these thoughts off his chest.

"When I first saw Sin a couple days ago, several things went through my head. Like why I became a guardian in the first place, and the fact that I enjoyed pounding Sin's face into the ground."

"Why'd you become a guardian?"

Wakka sat on the cold surface.

"Somebody I knew became a Crusader. Someone I shared my entire life with. I tried stopping him, but he wanted to make a better place for the person he loved. He wanted to live in peace with both of us, ya?"

"Who?"

He sighed. "My little brother."

"Oh..."

"Now I... really don't know what this means for Vidina. I don't want that life for him. If we don't get rid of Sin for good this time, he might make that decision for himself. I gotta make sure that doesn't happen."

Gaia sat next to him, hugging her knees.

"Wakka, I know you're worried about your son, but... believe me when I say he's going to be okay."

"How can _you_ be so sure?"

She grinned at him. "I just am."

Wakka beamed and stood up. "Well, best not to worry about it, ya? Gotta focus on this mission so we can go home."

He put his hand against the memorial and was silent for a minute before walking away. When they walked back to the front of the temple, Gaia's eyes went wide and she grabbed her bow.

"Woah, what the hell?!" Wakka said, standing back.

There stood a hybrid fiend, but it held more of its human qualities than its fiend's. It was clothed in a familiar Crusader uniform and it stared Wakka down. Its legs and arms were doglike and it had a canine head, snarling with sharp fangs. Atop of its head was a mound of red hair. Lulu came up next to them.

"What's that?!" she said, readying her magic.

"Is that...? No, it can't be... but... I guess it is..." Wakka said, softly.

Both women looked at him. He lowered his gaze, his fist balled. Gaia was about to run towards it, but he stopped her.

"What? But we gotta-"

"This is between us." Wakka turned his head to look at Lulu. She understood.

He walked towards the fiend. Lulu turned her head away. Wakka looked straight into its eyes. It was pained, both emotionally and physically. Wakka hated that the reunion between him and his brother had to end up like this. There were things Wakka wanted to tell the Crusader before he left that he was too prideful to say beforehand. He was never able to marry the woman he loved, have the children he wanted, or be with the person that was his only family. Wakka was living the life his brother wished for, and he felt guilty about it in that one second. The hybrid fiend didn't attack. It was waiting for Wakka to kill it.

"I guess we gotta do what we gotta do, ya? That's what you told me before you left. I... took care of Lu. I killed Sin with Yuna. And... you got a little nephew. Life just goes on, ya?"

The fiend was twitching. It couldn't hold back its nature for much longer. Wakka nodded.

"Right, I gotta help you out..." He hit the fiend with his blitzball until it was finally killed. When Wakka saw the pyreflies rise, he got on his knees, his hands folded. He stared at the ground for a couple minutes, holding back his tears and his sorrow. Lulu clasped her hand over her mouth, feeling sorry for him. The moment was interrupted when Yuna came out of the temple.

"Alright, everyone, we are returning to Luca." She brought the entire crowd of people out of the temple. Wakka got up and walked towards them. He stopped in front of Lulu.

"I'm sorry." Lulu said to him. He perked his head up. He wasn't expecting her to say that. Normally it was him responding in that way. He didn't say any more. Before joining up with Yuna, he put his calloused hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. Lulu had a flashback about what she had to do for Lady Ginnem.

Yuna led the restored crowd on the path towards he gate where their families would be waiting. Lulu walked next to her. Wakka noticed Gaia was still studying the Crusader memorial. He whistled to her.

"Come on, Gaia. We gotta go." he said. She took one last look at one of the names and continued on with her friends. This name sounded vaguely familiar and she felt another memory poking its way into her mind.

 _Chappu... I feel like I've heard that before..._ she thought.

Tidus was walking far behind the crowd. He couldn't take his eyes off his hand. It faded in one second and then stopped. He saw the same material that made up the field around the temple in his dream about the barrier between his Zanarkand and Spira's. When he tried to break a hole in the shield, he heard the same ringing sound he heard when he attempted to pass through from his Zanarkand. This field and that one were made of the same element, but Tidus didn't know what it was. He still wasn't sure if he'd actually visited his Zanarkand or if he'd dreamt about it. Yuna noticed he was staring at his hand for quite some time.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked him. He quickly hid his hand behind his back.

"Oh, yeah, I'm just fine." he replied.

"Really?" She sounded cynical.

"Yup, nothing to worry about here." he continued walking ahead of her, dropping his hand to his side.

Yuna sighed. "You're still a poor liar, you know."


	17. An Unexpected Visit

**An Unexpected Visit**

Tidus didn't want to believe the insane sender, but something about the way he'd said it, and the fact that Yuna kept avoiding the question made him further his theory that he was the one to blame for all of this. The Farplane acting awry, the hybrid fiends, the destruction of Spira. Now, Tidus was starting to see why Yuna was hiding the truth from him. As he walked, he kept looking at his hand. It faded and then stopped in the same second for no apparent reason. Yuna kept glancing at him, questions in her mind.

The families were overjoyed when they saw the crowd. They praised Yuna over and over again for her kind efforts. Despite their cheers, Yuna didn't feel like a heroine.

"You were so brave, Lady Yuna!"

"Way to slay those monsters!"

"You're our hero!"

Yuna laughed nervously. "It was nothing, really."

"Don't be so modest, it must've been difficult."

"I had some help from my friends."

"You and your crew have done a marvelous job, Lady Yuna. I thank you." Yuna turned her head towards Lucil who was exhausted and overworked on her restless chocobo. Yuna approached her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm doing rather well, actually, why do you ask?"

"You don't look too well."

Lucil watched over the gathering of people. They'd gotten over so much anger and resentment when they joined together with their families. Lucil was more than grateful for Yuna's actions.

"It hasn't been easy for any of us." Lucil said, sighing. "When word had gotten around that these half-human fiends were lurking around Spira, we were sent from the Council to defend the residents. We discovered that this mist had come from Guadosalam, and wherever it was located, those hybrid fiends would appear. The Council gave us the order to prevent anyone from entering areas containing the mist."

"We haven't heard from them ever since." Elma said.

"When did they last speak to you?"

"It had to have been only a couple days ago. We've heard that Sin has returned, but we haven't seen it, nor have we been able to leave our post."

"You haven't rested in the past couple days?" Yuna said.

"Don't worry about us, Lady Yuna." Elma said. "We expected it would be a while before we could return to the palace, so we came prepared."

"Well, if you come with us, we can give you even more supplies. It'll probably be best to overstock than not, right?"

"We appreciate your gesture, Lady Yuna, but we are not to leave the vicinity until further notice." Lucil said.

"Are... you sure?" Yuna asked.

"Yes, we are to remain here." Elma said.

Yuna could've kept insisting, but she'd be getting nowhere. They were loyal to their duties. The crowd was happily rejoicing over being together again. Yuna was satisfied she could at least give them that. She saw Maroda sitting by himself, disappointment clear on his face. Yuna felt sorry for him.

"Are... you alright?" she asked.

"My brother... he's out there somewhere. I should've been better at guarding him like I used to be."

"Don't blame yourself for this. Wherever Isaaru's at, I'm sure he's okay." Yuna said. Maroda didn't respond for a second. He got up and looked the opposite direction where the horizon seemed endless.

"I'm gonna go look for him. I'm gonna make that asshole pay for messing with us."

"Would you like our help?" Yuna asked.

"No, that's okay. I can see you've already got enough to worry about."

He started towards his path.

"Hey wait!" Yuna said. Maroda stopped in his tracks.

"I just wanted to wish you luck."

He nodded. "Right back at you."

Tidus walked out of the Farplane mist, this conundrum deep-rooted in his mind. As soon as he stepped out, a surge of pain went through his body, from his side to his left shoulder.

"You okay?" Wakka asked.

"No..." he groaned.

Yuna ran over to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, cupping his face.

"I don't know... my side... hurts..."

"Can you stand?" she asked him.

He gave her a small nod. He got to his feet and slowly rose in the air. The pain was so great that he fell back to the floor.

"Here." Yuna wrapped an arm around him and helped him stand up.

"I'm fine, Yuna, really." He still let her help him walk. He liked the feeling of her arm wrapped around him.

Yuna turned towards the rest of the crowd. They were content in each other's company, and Lucil and Elma were there to keep an eye on things.

"Let's go back to Rikku's tent and get you some medicine." she said.

When they returned to Rikku's tent, they paused. The place was ransacked and Chuami and Brother were both passed out on the floor. Shotgun shells were scattered all over the ground. Yuna stepped in and sniffed the air. It was the notorious knockout gas. She pulled Chuami out from the tent and set her down outside. She tried moving Brother, but he was too heavy for her arms.

"Help me move him." she told the crew, her face covered with her sleeve. Tidus stepped forward and helped her pull his body outside. His shotgun was still attached to him.

"What happened?" Tidus said.

"He came here." Yuna said. She looked around the tent for Kurgum, but he was nowhere to be found. Chuami stirred awake and coughed heavily. Yuna knelt next to her.

"Kurgum..." Chuami mumbled.

"It's... it's alright..." Yuna said.

"Kurgum..." Chuami opened her eyes slowly. She was still hazy from the fumes.

"Where is he?" Yuna said.

"Kurgum!" Chuami sat up, her head rushing.

"It's okay." Yuna said.

"No, it's not, he was kidnapped by that jerk!" Chuami tried standing up, but her legs were weak.

Lulu looked around the tent. "Where are the children?"

"That creep chased them away. We tried to fight him off, but he was too swift. He was using this black magic, or something. He grabbed Kurgum, and then I smelled something weird before blacking out."

Wakka palmed his face.

Rikku popped out of the hatch.

"Hey, guys! We got something! We're one step closer to-" she took a look around the tent. The crates were smashed, the tent was torn, and her brother was unconscious. Her friends looked like they'd been in battle. She wondered how long she'd been underground.

"Woah! What happened here?! Where have you guys been? I told you to keep an eye on the tent, Wakka!"

"Hey, we had to take care of something first, ya?" he said, crossing his arms.

"Rikku, Kurgum is missing." Yuna said.

Rikku's eyes opened wide. "What? How? What happened?!"

"It was that damn crazy sender!" Tidus yelled. Rikku looked at Brother. He was barely waking up before she walked over to him, kneeling close. She poked him.

"Brother? Brother? Come on, Brother, get up!" he sat up abruptly and almost hit Rikku in the head with his.

"Vydran! E'mm bnudald dras! Huputo femm rind ic ykyeh!" he got to his feet and aimed his shotgun, mistakenly pointing it at the crew.

"Woah, woah!" Wakka put his hands up.

"Brother! Snap out of it!" Rikku yelled.

He looked at them like they were evil intruders. His breathing was shallow and his adrenaline was high. He looked at Yuna and he realized who he was facing. Embarrassed, he sobbed loudly and ran inside the tent, climbing down the hatch and slamming it shut. Rikku explained to the crew that someone was flying the spare airship located in Bevelle and she sent a message to the driver. She told them that Yuna and her crew was located in Luca and needed assistance. They responded that they were on her way. Yuna filled her in on the fight against Eiren. While they waited, Tidus noticed Chuami was sitting by herself, a sad look on her face as she watched the sun set. Tidus walked over to her.

"Sunsets like this happen in Bevelle?" he asked.

"Nope, not even close." Chuami replied. Tidus sat next to her, holding his side.

"You got that troubled look on your face. What's eating you?"

"I mean, I did just see my closest friend, who's been like a brother to me practically since I was born, get kidnapped when I'm supposed to be watching over him. He's not the strongest, or smartest guy, so I should be even more freaked out than I already am about it."

"Hey, we're gonna fix this."

"Yeah, everybody keeps saying that."

"'Cause it's true."

"Whatever you say."

Sometimes, Tidus was paranoid when he saw large waves appear in the ocean. Sin liked to hide in the water and surprise a town with its attacks. Tidus shivered. The voices from Sin's interior still stuck with him.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Chuami said.

"Hmm?"

She continued staring into the ocean. "What... was it like, fighting with... Sir Auron?"

"Oh... well, he was such a hard-ass, always trying to keep everyone in line. He was cranky, old, cranky... and he was always pressing for time. He never stopped to appreciate everything around him. He was tough on Yuna, too."

Chaumi hugged her knees to her chest. Tidus sighed, remembering the time Auron spent scolding them for wasting time on Yuna's pilgrimage. Even though Auron gave him a hard time, he would be lying if he said he didn't miss it.

"But... he was also super loyal, especially to..."

"To?"

"Well, you know, his friends. He did what he did because he wanted us to find the truth. He wanted us to see the nonsense behind the sacrifice of summoners. He really helped me... I mean, us, a lot."

"Huh."

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I just heard a lot of stories about him. I wanted to hear from someone that knew him well, you know?"

Tidus heard the sound of the airship arriving. He stood up and saw the same purple-colored airship with what looked like teeth on its underside. It looked beat up on its sides and some of the paint was scratched up. There was also a hole on one of its propellers, but it was still functional.

"Everybody on board!" Rikku called to her friends.

Gaia eyed the Al Bhed contraption.

"Another one? Does every trip we make have to be in the air?" she asked.

"Yup, better get used to it, ya?" Wakka said.

Gaia sighed heavily.

"Hey, I don't like air travel either, but I sure don't wanna stay here and this ship's our only way out." he told her.

"Right, right."

"Now let's go."

Before Rikku left, she took one last look at the tent. In her mind, she told herself to ask Brother if he wanted to come, but she remembered Shinra saying he wanted to protect the tent. She told herself that now that she had the ship, she could easily come by if either of them needed help. She scrambled to get on board. The ship was just as they'd left it the first time. The oscillo-finder in the middle, glitching slightly, and some of the controls blinking. Rikku ran around the flight deck.

"Gippal? Gippal? Are you here?"

She heard footsteps emerging from the cabin.

"Gippal! You're alright! I was so worri-" the person that came into view wasn't who she was looking for. Tidus eyed the man wearing the gaudy yellow jacket, the goggles, and the long blonde hair.

"Greetings, Miss Rikku," Rin said. "I'm glad you're out of harm's way. I see you were expecting someone else."

Rin's jacket was torn and his face was bruised. His goggles were cracked.

"I... I was... uh... is Gippal here?" Rikku said.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rikku, but he isn't on this ship."

"Oh... how'd you get here?" she asked. Rin sat on one of the chairs, sighing heavily.

"I received a call from the Council several days ago, asking if I could help with a certain project. I was skeptical, but I accepted. This person sounded as if it was urgent, and who am I to go against the Council's wishes? However, I arrived and there was no Council at the palace. It was one man wearing a black cloak with Yevon's emblem. He asked for my assistance in helping him reestablish this machine hidden under the palace. I asked him why he chose not to include the Machine Faction, as they would also have the necessary skills and resources. This man said he didn't want any member of the Council knowing about this project."

"And you refused?" Yuna asked.

"I wasn't too keen on conspiring with this person who was going against the Council for his own benefit. When I rejected this proposal, he didn't accept it. The next thing I knew, I was forced into a prison cell. He kept me chained while I worked on this contraption, and I'd be forced into starvation, dehydration, and worst of all, these horrible machines with whips for hands, if I didn't do as he asked."

"That's terrible!" Rikku said.

"How'd you escape?" Yuna said.

"The machine was finished, and I assumed it meant I was free to go. This man had the face of someone on the verge of insanity. He said he was going to keep me here until his mission was complete. I tricked the machines into breaking my chains, and fled. The spare airships belonging to the Machine Faction were located in that underground facility. With it, I flew out of Bevelle, and that's how I ended up here."

Everyone was silent for a minute, thinking about this information.

"What does this machine do?" Yuna said.

"I don't have the slightest idea. When I asked, this man told me it was none of my concern. It looked rather perilous."

"Was there anyone else there?"

"Not that I could see. As far as I know, we were the only people in that facility. Why do you ask?"

Rikku plopped on a chair, resting her tired body. Wakka breathed in deeply, relaxing his muscles. Yuna walked closer to the oscillo-finder.

"That man you mentioned, he's been traveling all over Spira, hunting down the former summoners, including me, and a sender that's been traveling with us. He's obsessed with their abilities, and wants to use them for this 'glorious mission', as he calls it. He must be using this machine for it, but I'm not sure how. If he's located in Bevelle..."

She walked up to the window, gazing at the passing clouds and the vermillion-colored sky. Her hands were folded behind her back.

"We must go back there. We have to rescue the summoners, find the Council members, and put an end to this plot. His intentions would only bring chaos and misfortune to Spira. It already has."

"But Yunie... what if he's expecting us there? He'll trap you and try to use you." Rikku said.

"That is a risk I'm willing to take. It's the only way we could stop him."

"But... what if it means... your life?" Tidus asked.

Yuna turned and locked eyes with him. His brow was furrowed and his ocean-blue eyes were fixated on Yuna's. She walked up to him.

"I have to put Spira's future ahead of my own."

"But..."

She gave him a small smile, like she always did. Tidus knew he wasn't going to change her mind about this. He couldn't anyways, when the world was at stake. He sighed.

"Okay."

"Then it's settled. To Bevelle we go." Rin said.

The day turned to night and the airship continued on its path. Rikku put it on autopilot but she still stayed awake, making sure there weren't any threats ahead. Occasionally, her head would nod and she had to shake herself awake. Wakka and Lulu were trying to rest in one of the rooms, but neither of them were comfortable closing their eyes. They didn't want to talk about what happened earlier that day. They just wanted to forget the entire thing. Wakka was laying on his back, his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Lulu laid on her side, breathing softly and calmly. Both of them were experiencing memories of Chappu. Wakka thought about when he saw Chappu leave with the Crusaders and when he heard about his death. Lulu thought about the same thing. After a while, he sat up on the edge of the bed, glanced at her, and got up. She turned her head to watch him leave.

He went to the cabin to clear his head and he saw Gaia staring out the small window.

"Can't sleep either?" he asked.

"Who can sleep with all this crap going on?"

"Probably a good idea, ya?"

"Nah, it's not like I need to anyway. I mean, I'm dead."

Wakka sat on the bench, his elbows on his thighs. Gaia felt bad about constantly reminding him she wasn't a live person. She thought it probably made him feel bad, but it helped her detach herself from this world. She knew she was probably growing on him, but she wanted him to remember she wasn't going to be on this world much longer. Sometimes, even she tended to forget that fact. Acknowledging it made it easier to die, she figured. Still, he was already mourning. She sat next to him on the bench.

"Hey, listen... I'm... sorry about your brother." she said.

"It's okay."

"Really, though, I... it must've been... hard."

Wakka nodded.

"Are... you okay?"

"Yeah, I just don't wanna talk about it anymore..."

"Okay, sorry."

They sat in silence for a bit. Wakka kept telling himself that he had to do it, or else Chappu would be in this state of misery, anger, and hate, but he felt like he'd just committed murder. He wished the others weren't around to see it, that way he could've just lived with believing it was all in his head. Most of all, he hated himself for letting Lulu see it. She didn't need protection from the harsh world, but he didn't care. Gaia was thinking about the name, over and over again, and why it was significant to her. Then, it hit her. She groaned in pain as the aching in her temples returned.

"You okay?" Wakka asked.

"Yeah I just..." she massaged her head. "I... I remembered something..."

"What?"

"There was a name on that memorial... I saw it and it reminded me of someone important to me... Chappu..."

Wakka's eyes opened wide and he leaned in close.

"Chappu?" he said.

"Yes..." Gaia's eyes were closed while she continued rubbing her head. "Before I fought Sin, I... I was holding my baby son. I remembered that I was taking a walk through the grassy fields with my other kid, and everything was nice until... well, you know how it goes. We ran, but we were bringing Sin closer to the village. I gave my baby to my other child, and... I told him 'take care of your brother'. I said... 'take care of Chappu'..."

Wakka sat up straight and looked at her, complete shock on his face. She was deep in thought as she continued talking.

"That was the last thing I remember before I died. I was stupid to think I could even scratch Sin. Not even the machina could, so... I guess I was just throwing myself to it. Now, seeing that... Chappu had to go and be a Crusader, I wish I didn't. Maybe if I'd lived, he wouldn't have gone. I could've protected him. I didn't get to see him, or my other child grow up. I wonder if... they were happy."

"He was." The comment snapped Gaia out of her daze.

"What?"

"I... I mean... Chappu was happy."

"How do you know?"

"He was... someone I used to know. We grew up together on Besaid. He was my best friend. He seemed pretty happy growing up with all of us on that island. He had a pretty good life."

Gaia stared at him. His eyes were focused on the window. She breathed in deeply.

"My other kid is out there somewhere. I'm gonna go out and look for him. Before I go, before I get sent, I need to tell him... I'm sorry." She got up and started towards the entrance to the hallway. Wakka sat for a second before standing up.

"Gaia?" he said. She turned her head.

"I... well... it's just that... if your kid was here, I bet he'd say he knows why you did what you did, ya? And... he'd say he would've done the same for someone he loved, too."

She pondered this for a second before giving a small nod and leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Tidus was sitting in front of the window, keeping an eye on Rikku. Every time she'd come close to falling asleep, he'd shake her awake. He told her he'd be okay with guarding the ship while she slept, but she really, really wanted to be the one to do it. Tidus was feeling tired, but not enough to sleep. The rest of the crew had gone to bed an hour ago. The ship was cruising through the night sky and the area was clear. Tidus could see the moon reflecting off the ocean below. He looked at his hand. It didn't fade anymore after he noticed it the first time. He was starting to think he imagined it. He did remember crashing into the forcefield, and practically burning his hand trying to make a hole in it. The same happened to Gaia. He didn't know anything. When he looked at Rikku, her face was smashed against the controls and she snored loudly.

"Hey," he lightly slapped her face.

"Huh? What? Oh..." she yawned.

"You sure you wanna be sitting here all night?"

"Positive!" She tried holding her head up with her arm. "I'm the captain... remember?"

"Yeah, right." Tidus said, getting up. "I'll be right back. Are you gonna be awake while I'm gone?"

"'Course!" she was already nodding again. Tidus rolled his eyes. He went down the hallway where the guests' rooms were. He opened one of the doors slowly. Yuna wasn't in bed. He looked around, confused. He knew this was her room because she tied a pink ribbon around the knob.

"What's up?" Tidus turned to see Wakka.

"Uh... did you see Yuna go anywhere?"

"Uh... yeah, I saw her head up to the roof."

"Thanks."

The waning moon reflected off Yuna's peach-colored skin. She was enjoying the cool wind and she listened to the sound of the engines roaring. She hadn't seen _Farenheit_ in three years. It'd gone through some aging, but it was still the colorful memory that stayed with her. Tidus smiled. She looked stunning under the night sky, her hair blowing across her shoulders. He didn't want to interrupt her, but the questions still swarmed his mind. He walked up to her side.

"Hey."

She jumped. "Oh, hi."

"You seem kinda tense. You okay?"

"I guess, whatever 'okay' really means."

They watched the ocean pass underneath them, taking in the crisp night air. The stars were twinkling and the moon was waning. Tidus eyes each of the stars, seeing if any of them moved.

"It's okay, you know." Tidus said.

"What?"

"You looked terrified after you made that thing appear, but you know, you really helped us fight that thing. You saved a lot of lives."

She looked at her palms, the tingling feeling still present. The eyes of the corrupted aeon haunted her.

"Sometimes the better option isn't always the best."

"Huh?"

"It's just, if I use that power, whether it's to fight monsters, or stopping somebody from doing further harm, I'm no different than that sender."

"What? Yuna, don't start telling yourself that. No matter what you do, you'll never be at the same low as that jerk."

She lowered her head.

"If only you knew..." she said, hoping he didn't hear her. He looked at her before gently grasping her hand.

"Yuna, I know a lot of people around you try to make it seem like you did the wrong thing by defying Yevon, but what do they know? They've never seen what we've seen when we went on your pilgrimage, and they never will."

"Yeah..."

"And so what if you used the same ability? You sure as hell didn't cause people's deaths like he did, and you didn't cause people to come back from the dead and turn into fi-"

"I get it." she said, sternly. He was confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

He let go of her hand and studied her face.

"You sounded upset. Is there something bothering you?"

"No... it's that..."

"Is it me?"

"No, of course not."

"What is it?"

She sighed, staring at the scratched paint underneath her.

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"Yes." she sounded annoyed.

"Come on, Yuna. I know you well enough to know what you sound like when something's on your mind."

"It's only that I feel responsible for everything that happened. I was the one that started all of this."

Tidus stared at her. "What are you saying?"

"I..." she saw his expression. He was almost shocked, putting pieces of the puzzle together. She turned around.

"Where are you going?" Tidus asked.

"Back inside."

"Are we just done talking?"

"It's getting cold." She started towards the entrance to the ship.

"Come on, Yuna. Don't shut me out again."

She swiftly turned to face him. "What do you mean 'again'? When have I ever shut you out?"

"How about all the times I tried to talk to you on Besaid, or even on this trip and you just kept ignoring me?"

"Well, that's not really fair, because as I've told you before, I'm a high summoner, and a Yevoner priestess. I have duties, responsibilities, people are still depending on me as their source of comfort."

"Five minutes."

"What?"

"All I ask is five minutes of your time and I can't even have that."

She was starting to grow impatient. "Well you have it now."

"Why are you keeping secrets from me again, Yuna? Why can't you just trust me enough to tell me the truth? I thought we could tell each other anything."

"I have my reasons."

"And what kind of reasons are they?"

"If you knew half the things I knew, you wouldn't want to, that's why."

"That's not good enough."

"I'm sorry, but that's just the way it has to be."

She continued towards the ship.

"What's a relationship if there's no trust?" Tidus said. Yuna kept walking. Tidus couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to enter another period of silence between them. He reached for her hand but his arm faded through her body. Yuna froze, her eyes wide. Tidus looked at his hand. It was peculiar because it wasn't the hand that previously touched the barrier around the temple. He felt a wave of anxiety overcome him. Yuna looked at him, experiencing the same feeling. Her mouth hung open. Something stirred within her when his arm made contact with her body.

"What am I, Yuna? I'm fading again, I'm a dead man, I... that sender said I needed your powers to walk on this world. What's going on? Was I created the same way that aeon... and your fiend was?"

Yuna shook her head, but no words escaped her mouth.

"Was I summoned?" he asked. She didn't respond. Her eyes shifted to avoid his gaze, tears appearing at the corner of her eyes. Tidus started to hear the voices again. He thought he was dreaming, or perhaps he was experiencing some post-traumatic stress from Bevelle. From the way Yuna was staring in horror at the monstrosity behind him, Tidus knew he wasn't hallucinating. He slowly turned around and came face-to-face with the gargantuan creature that was his father.


	18. At the End of the Line

**At the End of the Line**

Sin was abnormally docile. Mainly, it was glaring at the two with somewhat distinguishable eyes. But regardless, Sin was no less of a menace than what it was known for, and its presence always meant trouble. Yuna shifted herself ever so slightly behind the blonde man.

"What do we do?" she asked, her voice barelt a whisper.

"Come on, Rikku…" he replied, indirectly to her question. "We need your help."

He figured Rikku was still slumped over her control panel, drooling in a heavy sleep in a chair before the large window. It seemed as though she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, as was expected from her. Sin may have held some restraint, but its Sinspawn was spewing from its back.

"Dammit!" Tidus yelled. "Yuna, run and get the others!"

"I'm not letting you fight them alone!"

"It's not a suggestion! Go! I'll handle this!"

Yuna stood firmly on the ship and casted Protect on him and herself. She started the first attack with Holy, all of her might thrown into it. Tidus was fortunate that he could finish them off. More appeared and they killed each of them off without failure. Tidus was surprised the monster didn't try to wreck the airship after what happened in Bevelle. Maybe Sin was just as tired of fighting as they were. Tidus was also feeling something off in the air. His head was hazy and he swore to himself that he could see people standing on Sin's body, staring down at him. But he was doing his absolute best not to let it distract him. After the third wave of Sinspawn, he felt like he was about to collapse.

"There's too many of them!" he said. "We need help!"

Chuami was walking down the hallway to the flight deck after feeling restless for a while. She gasped when she caught sight of the monster and ran up to the sleeping Rikku.

"Hey! Wake up!"

Rikku moaned in frustration and covered her face. "Not time to get up…"

Chuami shook her body. Rikku sat up and looked around.

"What? I'm up! Where am I…?"

"Look!" Chuami yelled.

Rikku jumped out of her chair. "Sin!"

Her hands frantically started pushing on buttons.

"Where's Yunie?!" she asked.

"How should I know?" Chuami said.

Rikku thought for a moment before it struck her.

"Tell the others! Quick!"

Chuami turned around to do so.

Tidus heard the voices again, loud but still incomprehensible. They were just as haunting as the first time, and in that split second against his will, he was suddenly taken by the distorted yelling and groaning. Still in a daze, he became confused and aimed his attacks at Yuna.

"Hey!" she yelled, avoiding the blade.

The fourth wave of Sinspawn occurred and Tidus could not shake his Confusion. He inflicted damage to himself and Yuna while she attempted to cure him. This type of effect was strong and he wasn't coming out of it as easily as any regular battle. Yuna was so busy trying to heal him that she didn't notice the Sinspawn that came dangerously close to her. It slashed at her arm and left a deep wound.

"Tidus!" She yelled as the monster hovered over her. Before it could attack, it was struck with a fire attack and faded away. Lulu came to her and lifted her off the ground.

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking at her injury. Yuna covered it with her other arm.

"Just a flesh wound."

"Sinspawn?!" Wakka said, hitting them with his razor-sharp blitzball. Gaia fired aquatic arrows into the monsters and ignored the minor effects from Sin's toxin. Wakka threw an Elixir at Tidus, but it had no effect. Suddenly, Tidus's body started fading in and out of existence. He felt intense pain shooting through his limbs and fell to the floor. Yuna ran to him and she defended his body from the various monsters.

"Tidus! Wake up, please!" she called.

Her voice sounded so much farther away than it actually was. Events were flashing before his eyes. At one moment, he saw Yuna. She turned around slowly, her eyes sparkling and she gave him that wonderful smile. Then, she was standing next to him, overlooking the ocean view in Luca, her speech inaudible. Tidus saw her put her fingers in her mouth and her whistle is what he'd heard. He saw scenarios when he first met Wakka, Lulu, Rikku, Kimahri, and though he couldn't hear their voices, he could remember everything they'd said. He saw when Auron dragged him from his home in Zanarkand to Spira, when he won the game with the Aurochs in Luca, when he fought Seymour, when he carried Yuna out of the Chamber of the Fayth after she ran from her wedding, and eventually witnessed himself leap off the airship into the cloud of souls.

At the end, it was pitch black and the silence was maddening. Tidus found himself looking at Jecht, who was standing before a massive city, monologuing to himself. Tidus couldn't tell what he was saying, but his voice sounded sad.

"Dad! What's going on?! Where am I?!" Tidus thought Jecht couldn't hear him at first, because he kept the monologue going while he stared out into the city.

"Dad! Please!" Tidus said again, sounding like he was about to cry. The most terrifying situation he could've been in was one where he wasn't sure what was happening, and where he couldn't tell if it was even real. He couldn't feel his body, he couldn't hear himself breathing. He couldn't even pry his eyes from the sight before him. Finally, Jecht turned around, and to Tidus's surprise, his eyes weren't the determined, dark brown color they once were. His eye sockets were filled with the same glow he'd seen in the belligerent sender's, tears trailing down his cheeks, and pyreflies floating around him.

"We need your help."

"W-w-what can I do?" Tidus asked.

"Someone's using us for something bad. The fayth, the aeons, they're in trouble. Their energy is in trouble. Someone's abusing their power, and trying to create something bigger and more dangerous than me. You need to put a stop to it, before it's too late."

"How?"

"You found a way to defeat Sin without the Final Aeon, right? You'll think of something, and you gotta hurry. I'm feeling myself turn into Sin again, completely. Soon, I won't be able to control myself. You probably already noticed I'm having trouble with that."

Tidus had many questions swarming through his mind, but the primal one that he'd been wondering ever since Bevelle stood out the most.

"Dad… please tell me… what am I?"

Jecht looked down at his hands. The pyreflies flew around them, their ghostly moaning loud in Tidus's ears. Jecht sighed.

"I'm sure you will figure that out."

Tidus wasn't satisfied with the answer, but as he was demanding answers, the environment around him began to glow as bright as Jecht's eyes, and he felt himself being pulled from his dream, yelling and screaming for a response.

Gaia felt lightheaded. She heard things, but couldn't put a label to the sounds. She kept firing arrows into the monsters, but her arms and legs were growing weaker. The sound of a screaming baby rang through her ears and she dropped her weapon. She covered her ears as the crying became louder. She turned away from the monsters and dropped to her knees. Then she was petrified at the sight in front of her. A small child, with fiery red hair and sad, brown eyes stood a foot away from her.

"No…"

The child didn't speak. He walked close to her and his cold stare made her feel as though he was staring into her soul.

"I… I'm sorry…" She lowered her gaze, squeezing her eyes shut and her hands covering her ears. Tears ran down her face and her heard beat rapidly.

"Hey, you okay?" Gaia opened her eyes and looked up to see Wakka standing in front of her, a concerned look on his face. Gaia turned her head to look around. The monsters stopped coming and the child was nowhere to be found. She wiped her face and stood up.

"I'm fine." She replied.

Sin was docile for a second. Yuna was leaning over Tidus's fading body, trying to bring him back into consciousness.

"Come on, wake up, please!"

"What's wrong?" Wakka asked.

"I don't know. It must be Sin's doing." Yuna said. Tidus's form stopped fading and his eyes were closed. Lulu knelt on the other side of his body.

"Perhaps I could help…"

"What are you going to do?" Yuna asked.

Lulu put her hands on his chest. She sent jolts of electricity through his body. Tidus immediately woke up from the shock and yelped in pain.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he asked. "Ow! I can't believe I still feel something like that!"

"Are you alright?" Yuna asked.

Tidus looked at his surroundings. His friends were staring at him, worry in their eyes. He looked behind him where Sin was still fixated on him. He stood up on shaky legs, not taking his eyes off the monster. For a brief second, he felt an immense amount of empathy for his father. He may not have known Jecht very well, having lost him when Tidus was only seven, and he may have resented him for a very long time, but even he could agree that Jecht didn't deserve anything like this. Jecht was forced to kill, he was forced to watch his own son destroy him, and now he was brought back to relive the nightmare again. Frankly, it was heartbreaking for Tidus to watch.

"Guys!" Rikku yelled over the PA system. "I'm gonna use the big guns! I think I've finally figured it out!"

"Huh? Wait! Rikku, don't!" Tidus yelled. Missiles fired from the ship straight into Sin's armored body. Sin screeched so loud, it shook the entire ship. The monster slammed its body against the ship and the vehicle tilted on its side. Tidus grabbed Yuna's hand and held onto the edge. The others were hanging on for dear life. Sin roared again and rammed its body into the vehicle. Tidus could feel his body starting to act up again. He lifted Yuna up and she grabbed onto the edge just as Sin hit against the ship a third time. Tidus's hand that was holding onto the ship faded yet again.

Rikku pulled herself up and sat herself in the pilot seat.

"How do I manually fly this thing?!" she yelled. She grabbed the yoke and slowly brought the ship to its correct position. Alarms rang throughout the ship and buttons were flashing on the control pad. She looked at the window. A large crack was directly in the center. Any more damage, and there would be no window anymore. She ran to the back of the ship to look for a couple of oxygen masks and to find Rin.

Yuna felt her fingers slipping from the edge of the ship. Lulu and Wakka came over and pulled her back onto the surface.

"You okay, Yuna?" Wakka asked.

"Yeah, fine…" she said, panting. She turned her head around, looking for Tidus. He wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Tidus?" she called. Wakka and Lulu both looked around.

"Maybe he went inside?" Wakka suggested.

"No… I think… I think he fell!" Yuna said.

"What?!" Lulu and Wakka both turned around to face Sin. The monster dived under the ship into the water.

Tidus was frantically swimming through freezing water. He couldn't tell whether or not he was still hallucinating, but he saw corpses floating underneath the surface, some crowding his path. He swam the opposite direction and his limbs got tangled in tall kelp forests. He saw a clearer path ahead of him and he was free from the horde of bodies and the kelp. Not even a couple feet from where he once was, he almost ran straight into the face of Sin. He turned around and fled. Sin didn't have to put much energy to catch up to him, and when it was only inches away from Tidus's body, it opened its gigantic jaws and clasped them shut.

Wakka didn't know what to do. He was pacing back and forth.

"Should I go down there and try to find him?" he asked.

"No," Lulu said.

"Why?"

"It'll be very difficult to pull you back up." Lulu responded.

Yuna was silent, thinking over and over about how she was going to protect him. Not just from Sin, but from the entire debacle that was his resurrection. He asked her what he was, and she knew she'd already given it away by not answering, and keeping the truth from him for an entire year. That wasn't the only thing she was keeping from him. She was thinking very hard about this fact when Sin appeared back from the water. Everyone prepared for combat. Sin didn't attack, but instead, it spat something onto the surface of the ship. It was Tidus, drenched and coughing up some of the water. Yuna ran to him and wrapped her arms around his soaking body.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he replied. "Thanks a lot, Dad…"

Sin growled softly before turning away from the ship and traveling the opposite direction. Tidus watched it disappear over the horizon, where dawn was approaching.

"What happened to you, man?" Wakka asked.

Tidus shook his head. "Not a clue. I must've been having some sort of out-of-body experience. Maybe it was Sin's toxin."

"Did you see anything in this experience?" Lulu asked.

"Yeah, a lot of things."

"Like what?" Yuna asked.

Tidus looked into her eyes, so full of guilt and hope at the same time. He didn't know what to make of every dream he had, but he knew every second of it was significant to him.

"I saw you, and me, and you, and you too." He pointed to each of the crew members as he talked.

"What about us?" Yuna said.

"Everything was happening so fast, I honestly don't know. I think… I need a moment to process all of this." He scooted his body around and he stared out into the sky.

"Well, I guess we'll leave you alone then." Lulu said. She looked at Wakka and gestured for him to follow her. They both walked towards the entrance to the ship. Wakka stopped when he saw Gaia in the corner, a blank expression on her face.

"Hey, you coming?" he asked her.

"I have to go." She said.

"Go? Well, we're all gonna go somewhere once we get off this ship, ya?"

"That's not what I mean…"

Wakka turned his body to completely face her. Her arms were folded across her chest and her body was swinging slightly.

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

Gaia turned around and skid past him, hiding her face. Wakka was about to go after her but he caught sight of Lulu giving him a questioning look.

"I'll go get her." He said.

She held a hand in front of him. "Can you explain to me what's going on?"

"Later, I just gotta talk to her first."

Wakka went back through the entrance, leaving Lulu outside. She sighed and shook her head.

"Later… right." She went inside.

Rikku spent the past thirty minutes going through every compartment to find the oxygen masks. She'd found first aid kits, parachutes, and other emergency supplies, but no oxygen masks. She went down the hall, searching every storage locker she spotted while calling out for Rin.

"Where'd you go?" she asked, quietly. She couldn't find what she needed, but she picked up a couple things she felt they would need on their travels. After looking through each locker, she became frustrated.

"Rin? This isn't funny anymore! Come on out!"

Rikku approached the stairs that lead to the cabin. There were no lights on and the area was pitch black.

"Weird…" Rikku said. She pulled out a flashlight and slowly made her way down the steps. She shone her flashlight around the area. There were several empty crates, and she found the last storage locker she hadn't searched yet. She walked over to it and pulled on the small handle. The door was jammed.

"Oh, come on!" she said. She pulled as hard as she could, putting her foot against the wall. It jerked open and she fell backwards. She heard a loud hissing sound. The air was suddenly filled with the gaseous anesthesia. She covered her nose and mouth with her hands, but the chemical was still seeping through her fingers. Eyes watering and mind foggy, Rikku reached for her flashlight. She saw that it was shining over Rin's unconscious body. She shouted in her mind. She threw open the door to the storage and found that there were no oxygen masks in there either. Her strength was weakening to where she fell onto her knees. She pulled her shirt over her nose and tried crawling out of the room.

 _Must… warn… everyone!_ She thought as she collapsed onto the floor.

"Hey, wait up!" Wakka called to Gaia. She sat on the floor with her bag in front of her and looked through her supplies. Within it, she saw the blitzball she kept from Luca with her signature. She stood up and tossed the ball to Wakka.

"Figured you'll find more use of it than I will." She told him. Wakka looked at her scribbled monogram.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked her.

"I told you I wanna go out there and find my kid."

"What? You're going out there and doing that now?"

"I have to."

"But… you said you didn't know where to look."

"I'll figure it out, trust me."

"But…"

She didn't like the tone of his voice. It was making this harder than it already was for her. She turned around and started getting her things ready.

"Wait, you can't go!" he said.

She turned to him. "Why not?"

"Because… uh… because we need you to help us out!"

"Hmm, seems to me that you guys are doing pretty well without my help."

"Nah, we need everyone to do their part. Come on, just stay and we'll finish this together."

"Wakka, I appreciate your sentiment, but I'm not going to last very long. I'm lucky if I even have tomorrow, or even tonight. Besides, every second I spend on this world brings me one step closer to turning into one of those things. I don't wanna… put any of you through that."

"Please, stay. I… we want you here, ya?"

"Wakka, I've already made up my mind… and… if… you really wanna… tell me not to… you'll have… you'll have… to…" Gaia fell to the floor.

"Gaia…" Wakka's head felt heavy and he saw black. "Are you… okay…?"

His body hit the ground with a thud.

"Wakka…" Lulu was next, and she fell right next to him.

Tidus was pondering his trips through the past. He thought about what he'd previously discussed with Yuna, and how much it hurt him that she was so keen on keeping secrets. He knew she and him were drifting because of heavy responsibilities on Yuna's end, but she was becoming someone he barely knew. Someone that didn't trust him. She really had changed, but not to his liking. After a while, Yuna put her hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it.

"Tidus? Are you alright?" she asked.

"I don't know…" he replied. "I don't know anything anymore. Nothing is making any sense. I still have no idea why Sin's here, why I'm here, why any of these spirits are here. What's going on, Yuna? Please, just tell me. I'm so confused, I'm thinking so hard about this that my brain's hurting. I'm tired of not knowing anything until way later!"

By that time, he'd stood up and started waking back and forth. Yuna didn't know what to tell him without confessing her own sins. She hated seeing him blame himself for everything that's happened. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone else's but her own.

"I…" she said.

Tidus swiftly turned around. "Yes?"

"I… I… I can't! I just can't!"

She turned around and started walking back to the entrance of the ship.

"Yuna, please… please… just tell me the truth…" he begged. His words were crushing her, and she wished with all her heart that she could tell him everything. She wished she could alleviate the burden he was carrying. Then she thought, she'd been keeping this up for an entire year, and it was far too late for her to be honest without him begrudging her for it.

"I… I'm sorry, Tidus…" she said, walking through the entrance.

Once she was gone, Tidus yelled and started kicking the air. He yelled and yelled until he couldn't take it anymore. He sat on his knees and started to cry, something he hadn't done in a long time. He wasn't going to stay on Spira for very long. He didn't know which fact saddened him more: that if he stayed, he'd become a fiend and endanger his friends, or the time he spent with his new family would be cut short once again. After he promised Yuna they'd be together forever, after he bonded with his surrogate brother, after he'd established himself as a blitzball star of Spira. It wasn't fair. Nothing was for him.

He wiped his face, remembering what Jecht said. He didn't have time to wallow in his self-pity. He didn't have time to feel remorse, or sadness. The world was at stake, and it was up to him to put an end to it. Not only that, but the time he'd be with Yuna wouldn't be too long, and he didn't want things to be the way they were in that second between the two of them.

"Yuna?" he called once he entered the ship. It was eerily quiet and as soon as he stepped through the door, the horrible fumes invaded his nostrils. He coughed violently and held his breath. He walked through the hallway on his enfeebled legs and looked for his friends. He slowly made his way to the flight deck where he saw the others passed out on the floor. His lungs couldn't hold out for any longer and he fell on his side, taking in the gas. Before his vision was blackened, he caught sight of Yuna, who had fallen the same way that he did, tears flowing down her face.

"Yu… Yuna…" Tidus choked. He looked up at the ceiling as a shadowy figure approached him. He screamed and kicked himself internally as he heard the last words of the intruder.

"Such amazing capabilities, such power, and such beauty, and it is all being wasted on such a pathetic creation."


	19. The Ultimate Price

**The Ultimate Price**

" _I got a theory. I think the fayth gathered all my thoughts and brought me back. Maybe… something like that." Tidus said, stretching._

 _Yuna was staring out into the Zanarkand sunset, the pyreflies dancing around them. She was content, with a slight hint of unrest in her eye. Tidus didn't know it, but she was keeping a close eye on him, as if he would vanish right then and there. She felt like she was lying to him just by keeping quiet. She wasn't going to let it bother her in that moment. She was grateful for everything. The fayth, Tidus, her friends, her life, her powers, everything. Mostly, she was grateful that Tidus couldn't recall the events that occurred on that island._

" _Or maybe…" Tidus continued, looking at his hands. "I'm still a dream…"_

 _Yuna's smile dropped. "Wait, so you'll disappear?"_

 _She looked at the ground, her eyes filling up. Tidus didn't know for sure, he wasn't sure he wanted to, either, but at that time, all he could think of was how much he loved the woman who was standing behind him. He turned to her, a smile on his face._

" _Cherish me, Yuna, and I'll cherish you."_

 _She perked her head up, looking into his ocean-blue eyes._

" _Alright? We gotta stay together, that's what we have to do."_

 _He turned back around and stared at the glaring sun. Yuna ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Tidus was surprised at her gesture. It was more intimate than when she hugged him the first time, and now, there was nobody to interrupt them, or to take Yuna away._

" _Is that what the fayth told you?" she said, squeezing him._

 _Tidus smiled weakly. "Nah, but I like it."_

 _Yuna beamed, giggling. Her laugh was contagious to him, and she playfully pushed him into the small pond below. Tidus coughed and sputtered._

" _That's not cherishing!"_

 _Yuna smiled down at him, relieved. "You didn't disappear."_

The dream made it seem as though time had stopped for just a second. Long enough for Tidus to remind himself who he was, where he was, and what he was doing there. When he opened his eyes, he saw souls traveling around him. The haunting distorted voices he'd once heard were replaced by soft singing. He'd recognize the melody anywhere. The Hymn of the Fayth was a gift from those that'd given their lives for Sin. It reminded him of his childhood. He stood up in a dark room. He could answer the first question of who he was, but he wasn't sure where he was. He recalled the night before: he was atop of the airship, wanting answers for his existence. Then he'd walked into the ship where he was taken under the influence of the gas. The last thing he remembered was the sender standing above him, a sly smile on his face, and a rough tone.

He looked around him. He could see huge metal bars and a hallway that was dimly lit by the glow of torches. He jumped a little when he heard the sound of someone walking down the hall. He crawled over to the metal bars.

"Hey! Where am I?! Hello!" the person completely ignored him. He noticed something off about this area though, the metal bars seemed to be transparent, or perhaps it was just the fact that his arm had gone right through them. He moved his hand around, and he could see the glow of the pyreflies within his body.

"What…?" he said quietly. He stuck his foot out and it reacted the same way. It was scaring him. Perhaps he was having another out-of-body experience and his body was somewhere else while his conscious walked freely. Maybe he was still dreaming. Either way, he wanted out of prison. Without thinking, he slipped through the metal bars and walked down the hall. There were other prison cells around him, and he could see that there were other people in them. These people had pyreflies floating around them, and their bodies were glowing, lighting their cell.

"Who… are you?" Tidus asked.

The people turned their heads up. They didn't answer, they just stared.

"Can… can you help me? I… I don't know where… I am…"

"Help?" they said. "There is no help."

With that, they stood up, turned around towards the brick wall behind them, and disappeared.

"Huh?" Tidus walked backwards, trying to wrap his mind around what he just saw. He heard the sound of people talking behind him. A cloud of souls spread throughout the hallway and Tidus could see people, walking through walls, walking through each other, and looking at him as though he'd committed a serious crime.

When Rikku, Wakka, Lulu, and Chuami woke up, they found themselves in cold containments, with rusty bars, dripping water, and cold air.

"What… happened?" Rikku said, trying to lift her head off the ground. She grasped the back of her head where it hit against the stone tile.

"We got thrown in jail," Chuami said, glumly. "That's what happened."

"Ow…" Wakka groaned, rubbing his head.

"Are you all okay?" Lulu asked, breathing heavily. She tried to sit up, but the massive amount of pain shooting up her side forced her to lay back down.

"Fine, but… how do we get out of here?" Rikku said.

"There is no way out," Chuami said. "That's the point of prison."

"Maybe I have something that'll help…" Rikku searched around for her bag of items. They'd been confiscated.

"My tools!" she said.

"They took my ball, too!" Wakka said, angrily.

"And my weapons as well," Lulu said. "If we are going to escape, we'll have to rely on our wits."

"Yeah, only problem is we're not going to escape," Chuami said. "Have you already forgotten we're in prison?"

"Of course we are!" Rikku said. "We can't just sit here and let the world be destroyed!"

"What's the point? I mean, you couldn't beat Sin the first time, and we're powerless against a crazy sender than can just zap powerful things into existence."

"Hey, we're not gonna get anything done with that attitude!" Wakka said.

"I'm being realistic," Chuami sounded impatient, per usual.

"What about Kurgum?" Rikku said. "Don't you want to save him?"

"Of course, I just know I can't. Unless you have some brilliant idea to bust us out."

"I do! I mean, I would if I had my tools…" Rikku plopped her bottom on the floor. "I failed… the guys were right, Pops was right, I am a screwup…" She felt her eyes begin to water.

"Hey, don't you start talking 'bout yourself like that." Wakka said.

"You're a lot smarter than you know," Lulu said to her.

"Really?"

"'Course! You can make bombs out of potions and spheres! Plus, you really helped us out, ya?" Wakka said.

"Well, thanks," Rikku wiped a tear from her eye. "It means a lot. I'm glad we all still have each other."

While they were waiting for fate to decide where they'd go next, each of them shared a small bit of their history, aside from Chuami, who was sitting in the corner and keeping to herself.

"I've only been underneath Bevelle once," Rikku said. "Gippal… I mean, the Machine Faction, was researching more of Spira's history. We found lots of ancient machina, some that we think date all the way back to the Machina War."

"You're kidding!" Wakka said.

"Yeah! But we didn't think we needed them anymore because… well, we were sure we wouldn't have to fight Sin. Also, they were too old to salvage and reuse anyway."

"What were you all planning to do with them?" Lulu asked.

Rikku lowered her gaze. "Well… I thought of the idea to put them in a museum. But… well, the Council was still unsure about revealing them. They didn't want the public to know that Bevelle was hiding these dangerous, world-ending weapons. They're still secretive about what they find about Spira's history."

Chuami scoffed. "Of course…"

"I'm not even allowed to know what they know... It's irritating because we're supposed to be working together to make Spira a better place."

The rest of them gave her an empathetic look.

"Sorry..." Lulu said, softly.

Rikku slapped her hands against her thighs. "Well… don't worry about it. Things happen, you know?"

Wakka tried looking down the hallway from his cell. He didn't hear any others besides the four of them.

"I wonder where they put Gaia…" he mumbled.

"You never got around to telling me about her," Lulu said to him. Wakka looked into her eyes, full of genuine curiosity. His mouth moved slightly and no words came out at first.

"Uh… well… she… uh…" Wakka said. "She's… my mother…"

Everyone turned their heads towards him, speechless.

Lulu wasn't sure how to react, except with, "How do you know?"

"She said that before she died, she remembered her kids. She was holding her kid in her arms and… before giving him up, she said 'take care of your brother'. She was talking about Chappu."

Lulu was shocked. She felt sorry for him because all the spirits would have to meet their expiry when this situation was over. Wakka had to end his brother's suffering, he watched somebody that had been like a brother to him disappear, and now, he was going to repeat the cycle with his mother. Sometimes, life could be cruel, she figured.

"I think my father might still be alive, you know?"

"Really?" Rikku said.

"Yeah, because well… she couldn't be here because of me. I've never met her before, ya?"

Lulu didn't respond. She only listened.

"Lu, don't yell at me for this, but… if my father's alive, I wanna seek him out. I want you and Vidina to come with me."

"What? But… Wakka, I'm the mayor of Besaid, and you're the assistant mayor, and… Yuna's the Yevoner priestess. We can't leave her to tend to Besaid on her own. We can't leave any of them to lead Besaid."

"Then… I'll go."

Lulu raised her eyebrows. "You're going to _leave_ us? Again?"

"I'm not gonna be gone forever. I bet my old man would be happy to see that I'm still around, ya? And I can bring him and my mother to Besaid, and we can all be together."

"Wakka, you shouldn't."

He paused, staring at her. "Why not?"

"You know what's going to happen to her when she finds out the source of her existence. That is, if the information she gave you was correct."

"What are you trying to say?"

Lulu sighed in frustration. Both Rikku and Chuami covered their ears.

"I'm saying that you can't trust somebody you've only known for a couple days."

"You're saying she's lying to me?" Wakka sounded pained.

"No, I'm saying you should be careful. And if it were true, why bother looking for someone that never tried to reach out to you and your brother during your entire lives?"

"Maybe he thought we were dead, I mean, Sin attacked the island, and Besaid's not very big, you know."

"He never tried to find you."

"But… I wanna do this, Lu. Gaia said that her last wish before she checked out was to see the people she lost. I wanna grant it for her, and I wanna be with my family."

"What about us? _We're_ your family, Wakka." Lulu sounded indignant. Wakka didn't mean it in the way she thought, but he knew his words hurt her a little. He wished he knew what to say. He always wished that. Just then, the crew heard the sound of a rolling cart coming their way.

"Good morning," Rikku turned her head up to see Rin.

"Hey, how come _you_ got let off the hook?" she said, squinting at him.

"Here," he handed her a bowl with soup in it. "You need your energy, Miss Rikku."

He gave the others their serving of food. Rikku put hers down and stood up, abruptly.

"I demand a trial! I want my voice to be heard! Where are my rights?!" she yelled.

"You must be silent, Miss Rikku, or you will cause a stir." Rin said.

" _You_ were behind this, weren't you?" Rikku said. "How could you? How could you betray us like that? I thought we were friends!"

Rikku walked straight up to her cell.

"Silence, Miss Rikku. If you aren't patient, then I will have no choice but to escort you, and your friends out."

Rikku blinked. "W-what?"

Rin turned his head to look from one side of the hallway to the other. He straightened his posture and repeated through a quiet voice and clenched teeth, "I said… I will escort _you_ and _your friends_ out..."

She stared at him for a second.

"Until next time, farewell," Rin said, taking the cart away.

Tidus felt bewilderment overwhelm him. There were so many people, yet nobody would stop to answer his questions. It was clear to him that they weren't alive, but they were here without effort. He was anxious, afraid of what was to come, and wanting to find his friends. He didn't know what was happening to them. Walking further down the hall, Tidus didn't hear the ear-piercing ringing noise, and he felt no pain. When he entered the first room, he encountered a large fiend, with horns, sharp teeth, and fiery breath. Tidus reached for Brotherhood, only to find it wasn't with him. Tidus planted his feet on the ground and attempted to use his magic. He couldn't do it, but when he stopped, he'd realized the fiend wasn't attacking. It acted as though he wasn't even there. Tidus was confused. The fiend didn't move when he waved his hand in front of it.

He walked through the monster, which gave him the strange feeling that was similar to butterflies in his stomach. When Tidus interacted with the fiend's pyreflies, the fiend stirred a bit.

Something else happened that blew his mind when he approached another hall. A note suddenly appeared on the wall, saying:

 **Yokai, forgive me. If only I'd known then what I know now.**

It magically was written right before his eyes. Then, as he stood back and examined more of the hallway, more words appeared before him with the words "Beckoned", "Betrayal", "Sin", "Revenge", and "I'm sorry". It didn't make the least bit of sense to him, and it wasn't just the fact that these words weren't here before. The word "beckoned" stayed with him. It was a term he hadn't heard before, and somehow, he had the feeling that he wasn't supposed to know about it until now.

Yuna awakened in a brightened room. She felt dizzy and her vision was blurry. She sat up and felt a headrush. Her back was hurting from laying against the hard tile and her limbs were numb. She looked around her. Standing right behind her were two enormous glass chambers filled with energy in the form of pyreflies on both sides of a body-shaped mold with straps at the arms and legs. Yuna slowly stood up, trying to balance her weakened body. She ran her hands along the glass chamber and the pyreflies were drawn to her touch. She could see a thin, watery line beneath the glass and it was keeping the pyreflies from escaping.

"Quite a beauty, isn't it?" Yuna turned swiftly to see Eiren. His body looked as though he hadn't eaten in days. His hair turned from gray to a platinum white and his eyes looked lifeless. He had scars and scratches on his hands and noticeable bags under his eyes.

"Where… where am I? Where are my friends?" Yuna was breathing heavily and her vision was slowly turning to normal.

"Don't be afraid, Lady Yuna," Eiren said. "If I wished to harm you, I would've done so when I'd first laid eyes on you. I've stated before that I need your help."

"For… for what?" her eyes searched for an exit but she couldn't see one.

"When I first became a summoner, I knew absolutely nothing of the impressive potential behind summoners. Like you, I'd lost a loved one. A bright, young girl whom had given my life meaning and purpose was taken from me by the hand of Sin. I vowed to martyr myself for her sake. I wanted to avenge her and every innocent soul that Spira had lost. Then I'd found out that I didn't have to sacrifice my entire life, nor those of other summoners. I was in the process of creating a weapon, a weapon that had the ability of completely eradicating Sin. When the fayth abandoned me, I could no longer utilize this power."

Yuna looked around the room and when Eiren was talking directly at her, she turned her head in false interest. She felt the room become increasingly warm with the rise of her nerves.

"I know exactly what you're thinking, Lady Yuna," Eiren continued. "Why must you be the one to partake in such a project when I am perfectly capable of this power myself? I have limited abilities. What you've seen at Djose shore is miniscule compared to the amount of energy that lies within these chambers. You've collected every one of the aeon's energy, you've activated an ancient practice of beckoning that was deemed to be forbidden one thousand years ago. You've created a powerful creature that no summoner had ever conceived."

"I… I will not conspire with you! I won't risk many other innocent lives with this dangerous amount of power!"

"But you already have," Eiren said. "You have brought upon the suffering of many. Your selfishness has broken the barrier between the Farplane and Spira, thus bringing the return of Sin, and the punishment for all those beckoned spirits to turn into hideous fiends. You've lied to your lover and gave him the false impression that he was real for an entire year."

Yuna asked herself how Eiren had known about this. She never gave him this information.

"What would Spira say if they'd found out about your treachery?"

"I don't care what happens to my reputation as long as they know the truth!"

"But you could give Spira another chance at peace."

"Not from doing this dangerous work! All these souls… all this power… Yu Yevon lost control of his creation after acquiring so much of it!"

"Trust me, Lady Yuna, you will not lose control of this incredible creation. Because you won't be the only one exerting it."

"W-what?" As Eiren walked closer, Yuna tried to run but she couldn't. Some invisible force was sustaining her body and preventing her from escaping.

"Now, I must take use of you as my newfound vessel," As he spoke, a black and red aura surrounded him and black tentacles emerged from his body. When he spoke again, two voices were heard, one much more demonic than the other.

"I, or should I say _he_ , won't last much longer in this current state."


	20. The Storm

**The Storm**

Rin took the cart into a room that had a pin map of Spira hanging on the wall. Surrounding the map were pictures about the size of regular pieces of paper of all summoners and senders. A string attached each pin to a picture. All of them besides Yuna's were crossed over with a big, red X. Eiren's picture was attached to the wall as well, and it, too, had a large red X crossing it.

Rin walked over to the corner of the room and removed a small table. A small space on the floor had a false tile and he removed it to reveal a keypad. He heard footsteps and put the table back over it. Eiren walked through the door and paused when he saw Rin.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Just checking on the inventory," Rin replied.

"Really? I thought you already did that yesterday."

"I always check my lists twice," Rin said.

Eiren looked suspicious, but he had more important matters to tend to.

"Fine, but you should know that you do not have permission to be in this room." He replied.

"Dully noted, and Sir Eiren, thank you again for giving me another chance after my foolish retreat."

Eiren grinned. "Well, I most definitely trust you more than any of those Council members. And those summoners? They wouldn't take orders even if I were Yevon, myself."

"They can be tedious to work with," Rin said.

"I must return to my project. Keep watch on those guardians, they are feisty."

Eiren gave him a doubtful look before continuing down the path.

Once Eiren was out of the room, Rin came back to the space in the floor. The keys to each prison cell were located in a room across the one he was currently in, and to get to it, he would have to eliminate two of these yellow robots with whips standing guard at the door. The Machine Faction attempted to recover these robots to use in the Council Forces against fiend attacks in hopes of sparing the soldiers from giving their lives. However, the Council was hesitant about using machina for violence, even against fiends. It wouldn't seem ideal in their efforts to establish the public's faith in machina. Rin put the code in and a small hatch opened to reveal a small compartment with the team's weapons. Taking Rikku's mixing kit, Rin took parts to make a grenade and combined them with a lightning gem. When it detonated, it wouldn't create a fiery explosion, but a shocking outburst instead.

Every room that had significant importance was locked with a keypad. Rin was the only one allowed inside some of them, but not all. He stood at the doorway, focusing his hearing to make sure nobody was walking in his direction. He quietly scampered down the hall. He stood several feet away from the robots and pulled the pin off the electric grenade. He rolled the grenade towards their way and it shocked them. It made much less noise than a regular bomb. Rin stepped over the broken pieces of the robots and punched in the code. He snatched the keys, closed the door gently, and quietly walked back down the hallway to the room.

Before he made it back, he stopped when he saw the disconcerting state of one of these cells. The metal bars were bent, they looked as though something had taken a bite out of them, and gigantic claw marks were on the walls and floors. Rin shivered to think about how powerful a creature would have to be to cause this kind of damage, and the fact that such creature is now loose in the dungeon.

"What 'bout you, Chuami?" Wakka asked.

She looked at him. "What about me?"

"You haven't said much about yourself, ya? What's your story?"

"Not really much to tell about me. My mom died because of Yevon hunters, Kurgum and I kind of relied on each other while we grew up, and I didn't have a dad."

"Yeah, us too." Wakka said. "Not Rikku. Her dad scares me, ya?"

Rikku laughed.

"He has that effect on most people," Rikku said. "What happened to your dad?"

Chuami tried to find a way to answer this. "Well… the last time I saw him, according to my mother, I was really little. Honestly, I'm not even sure he knew I existed. At least, I'd like to think he knew I didn't exist. But… well… Mom said that he left one day for a very important mission. And never came back."

"Important mission?" Rikku asked.

"He… was a guardian to Lord Braska. I only heard stories from my mother, but I don't actually know for sure. Though, I doubt my mother would lie to me."

Everyone else was surprised and Lulu remained skeptical.

"Why didn't Sir Auron tell us he had a kid?" Wakka asked.

"Mom said he was a private person. Or maybe he didn't know about me. I feel like people that become guardians usually don't become ones if they want, or have families. Then again, I never was a guardian, so I wouldn't know."

"Is that why you've come with us?" Lulu asked.

"I came because Sin attacked and I didn't really have anywhere else to go. Also, Kurgum said he wanted to help Lady Yuna somehow. He really looks up to her, you know?"

Lulu wasn't convinced. She'd heard many others that claimed to be the children of Braska, Jecht, or Auron just for status purposes. Sometimes they also wanted things from the Council such as special treatment, a job working for the government, or representation within the Bevelle palace. However, she knew Auron wasn't one to talk about the past.

"So, I'm an orphan. I guess I'm bitter because I know that nobody's gonna be around for me when this is all over. Even Kurgum wanted to part ways. The Council doesn't even think I'm important enough to carry a weapon."

Everybody looked at her and noticed that for once, she didn't look like the ill-tempered girl that sneered at other people for thinking different from her. She seemed genuine. The crew jumped at the sound of footsteps rushing down the hallway. Rin grabbed the keys and went to Rikku's cell.

"I knew you wouldn't leave us out in the cold!" Rikku said.

Rin pressed a finger to his lips. "There isn't much time. Eiren has Yuna and he's using her for his project."

"What's he doing to her?!" Wakka said.

"I'm not sure, but he's utilizing a very powerful type of magic for this machine of his. He's been using each of the summoners and keeping them trapped here."

"We better go find them!" Rikku said.

When everyone was out, Rin handed each of them their weapons.

"I also have this one," he held out Brotherhood.

"Tidus!" Rikku said. "Did you see him, too?"

Rin shook his head.

"Let's find those two and rescue Yuna." Lulu said. Wakka took Brotherhood from Rin's hands and looked at it. It was dulled, but still effective. He walked over to Chuami and handed it to her.

"You should carry one, too." He said.

"You're… trusting me with _this_?"

"Yup. Time to show us what the legendary guardian's kid is made of!"

The crew ran into a room at the end of the hallway where fiends awaited them.

"Where did these come from?!" Rikku said.

"He must've found me out," Rin said.

Rin stood back as the crew fought the monsters. Rikku created a Blaster Mine and Wakka drained health from them. Lulu struck them with Bio. They were surprisingly high level monsters. Chuami didn't deal close to half the amount of damage that the others were and the impact that the fiends caused was enough for her to collapse. Once the fiends were gone, they tossed a potion to her and she got up quickly.

"Where to next, Rin?" Rikku asked.

"This way," Rin started towards the hall on the right hand side. They ran to another room and were attacked by the yellow, goggled robots. They swung their whips in a circular fashion.

"What are those things?!" Rikku yelled.

"Robots." Rin said, being his usual calm self.

The robots attacked first, smacking each of the crew with their whips. Rikku noticed something strangely familiar about them. Maybe it was the fact that they were metallic people with goggles. She threw a grenade at them, and they responded by replacing their whips with small cannons, shooting multiple hits her way. She was hit with Confuse, but only for a second. Lulu took them down with her thunder spells and more came. Rikku threw a lightning grenade at them and destroyed them.

"This way," Rin said, running towards the doorway.

Rikku picked up one of the pieces the robots left behind. Underneath its slightly rusted surface was the word "Bedore" engraved. Rikku put the piece in her bag.

They came across another hallway with prison cells and Rikku was relieved.

"Gippal! You're okay!" she said.

"Yeah… I guess…" he said. Baralai was in the cell across from him and Nooj was in the adjacent cell. Rin freed them from their containment. Rikku gave Gippal a tight squeeze, almost knocking him over.

"Well, thanks for your concern for us, Rikku," Baralai said to her. Rikku turned to him.

"Sorry! What happened to you guys? Everything's going downhill on the surface!"

"Not a clue," Gippal said.

"Yeah, one day we're looking at the oscillo-finder, then the next, we're in prison cells." Baralai said. "Nobody's told us anything around here. I don't even know what day it is."

"Well, long story short, Sin appeared in Bevelle, this sender of yours has been kidnapping and using summoners, and we're trying to find him so we can put an end to it before he destroys the world with his crazy invention." Rikku said, indifferently.

"Wow…" Gippal said. "That's a lot to take in, in five seconds."

"We gotta hurry, he's got Yuna." Rikku said.

Nooj had to have two people by his side to help him walk. The machine parts on his body were missing.

"Nooj!" Rikku said. "What happened to your…?"

She didn't want to finish the sentence as she felt like she was being rude.

"I don't know, I'm assuming that blasphemous sender took them for his invention." Nooj said.

"Hey, weren't you working with him, Rin?" Gippal said, angrily stomping towards Rin.

"I had no knowledge of what this machine does," Rin said. "I only did what I thought the Council was asking of me."

"It's okay, Gippal, he's busting us outta here." Rikku said. Gippal crossed his arms and scowled at Rin with his one working eye.

"That's right," Rin said, going ahead of everyone else. "Now, follow me, or if you do not trust me, you're welcome to stay here."

"I've been in this hellhole long enough," Gippal said, walking past Rin. "But _I'll_ be the one leading us now."

Rin shrugged. "Fine."

A couple of the senders helped Nooj walk as they headed out of the hallways.

"The Council has a place underneath this one where we store all the Machine Faction vehicles." Gippal said. "We'll find Yuna and make a break for it."

They ran into rooms with both fiends and the robots. Rikku healed her friends with Al Bhed potions and Chuami was improving on her sword skills. If Auron found a way to come from the Farplane and watch her fight, she hoped he'd be proud.

In one of the rooms, there wasn't any fiends, but Wakka noticed someone was standing in the corner, staring at the wall, completely silent.

"Hey, Gaia!" he said to her. "Come on! We gotta get out before-"

She didn't turn around and she remained completely motionless. Wakka came closer to her and noticed she had scratches on her back. She had ones there before, but these new scratches were much worse. She was shivering, though there wasn't any cold air. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

She swiftly turned around. "What?!"

He looked at her hands. Her nails were chipped and cracked and blood ran from the tips. They looked as though she escaped by digging her way out.

"What happened?" he asked. She avoided her gaze, looking at the floor.

"I… I don't know…" she said.

"Guys, I think I hear more people down here!" Rikku said, running down the next hall.

"Wait for us!" Chuami yelled. Wakka gave Gaia some bandages and ointment.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He told her.

She contemplated running away, but decided not to.

Tidus heard his friends yelling in the distance and he followed the sound of the noise. He heard the sound of spirits crying around him, and some of them said something along the lines of "no hope". This made Tidus start running.

Kurgum was more than relieved the crew found him.

"Chuami!" he said. "I'm so glad to see you!"

Wakka looked in every one of the cells, but there was no sign of Tidus.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"We'll find him soon." Rikku said. She'd been wondering the same thing.

"Wait… Where's Yuna?" Kurgum asked.

"We haven't found her yet." Chuami said.

"You mean she's in danger?!"

"We're _all_ in danger, Kurgum,"

"Well, long time no see," Dona said to them. "Never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad you're here to bail us out."

"Good to see you too," Wakka said.

"Lady Lulu, Sir Wakka."

"Father Zuke!" They walked over to his cell.

"I'm glad to see you two again," he said. "Something strange is happening here. Extremely powerful and dangerous magic and a sender with insane ideas. I wasn't sure what to make of it."

"What did he do to you all?" Lulu asked.

"He forced us into this contraption of his," Isaaru said. "This power we once used to conjure aeons, he robbed it from us."

"He took it from every single one of us," Dona said. "When the Farplane started acting up, we became summoners again, though none of us realized it. Not until one of your Council members educated us on this idiotic plan of his."

"What plan?" Rikku said.

"He believes by gathering enough of this energy, the energy that the fayth had entrusted us with, he can create something capable of defeating Sin." Zuke replied. "That is, he wants to abuse this power, and the fayth in the process. He wants to recreate another Sin to fight Sin."

"And he's going to do the same thing to Yuna if you don't find her quick." Dona said.

"Right, let's go get her!" Kurgum said.

All the senders and summoners followed the crew as they ran into different fiends, some of which were an unknown species.

"Stand back!" Wakka said to the crowd. Gaia pulled out her bow and fired two arrows into each one. Wakka used Osmose and Lulu casted Death. Death worked for some of them, but others it missed. As Gaia fought, she felt something within her that was threatening to show. She was trying her best to keep it contained but she wasn't sure she had the strength to control it. She was sweating, her nerves rising. For a second, she couldn't attack the monsters and she stood there, frozen. The monster ran to her and smashed itself into her body. She dropped to her knees. Rikku threw her a potion.

They came to and end of the hallway where two doorways perpendicular to the crew were. Everyone stopped for a moment as Rin walked to the front of them.

"This hall leads to the machine, where Lady Yuna remains." Rin said, pointing to the one on the left.

Gippal walked next to him. "The way to the ships are over here."

He pointed to the right. Rikku looked at both doorways and turned to the crowd. Too many people, and much too dangerous.

"Gippal, Rin, you take the summoners and head for the ship." She ordered.

"What about you?" Gippal said.

"We still gotta find Yuna," Rikku said. "We'll meet up with you when we do."

Kurgum stepped forward. "I'll come with you."

"Uh, no you won't," Chuami said.

"But… I wanna help save Lady Yuna!"

"You're just going to get yourself killed."

Kurgum had enough of how she'd been treating him. He marched ahead of the crew towards the doorway on the left and turned to address her again.

"Chuami, I've already told you before, you're _not_ my boss!"

The summoners and Council members parted ways with the crew. Before leaving with them, Rin turned to Rikku.

"You won't be able to easily see the entrance to the machine," he said. "It'll be behind a false brick wall. It's color is slightly lighter than that of the real wall. Directly in the center is a removable brick with a keypad behind it. You'll need the passcode. It is 0-9-1-2-4-7."

"Okay, got it, and thanks again."

Rin nodded. "Good luck."

Tidus heard the sound of fiends roaring and grenades going off. He ran through the rooms where broken machina parts were scattered and parts of the building were ruined from the grenades. Souls were floating around the room and the ghostly moaning could be heard from them. Tidus kept going.

 _Yuna… please be okay…_

"There it is!" Rikku pointed towards the wall that was completely free of clutter and she could see what Rin was talking about when he said its color was lighter. Before they could even come close to it, a fiend materialized in front of them. It was one that was attached to the wall. It was fleshy-looking with visible veins and liquid oozing from its surface.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Wakka said.

"No time, let's take this one down!" Rikku said.

It was easier said than done, because the monster had first strike and poisoned each of them. It casted Reflect on itself and Protect. Wakka was already feeling a tad bit queasy and the poison was making it worse. The fiend created fleshy tentacles out of its skin and slapped each of the members with them. Rikku threw multiple Al Bhed potions and pelted it with grenades, but barely scratched it. The monster was overpowering them.

Tidus heard a roaring sound coming from a hallway in front of him. He rushed through it and eventually met up with his friends.

"Hey, guys! Are you okay?! Where's Yuna?!"

Nobody answered him. Nobody even looked at him. Tidus thought maybe it was because they were only a couple of hits from being knocked out. He wished he could help them but he couldn't use his magic. He couldn't use a sword either.

"Okay… think…" he told himself.

He couldn't think of anything. He could only stand there and watch the madness unfold. Gaia had enough strength to fire one last arrow straight into the creature's eye. It screeched loud and as it writhed in pain, Rikku took the time to heal everybody. She mixed her ingredients together and hit the monster with Hazardous Shell. They attacked until the fiend finally died. When the pyreflies flew away, Tidus thought he could hear them speaking actual words. He shook off the feeling and tried to get his friends' attention.

"Hey, guys! What's going on?! Where are we?!"

"Okay, let's see here…" Rikku removed the fake brick and punched the code in.

Tidus still received no answer from them. He waved his hand in front of Wakka's face. Nothing.

The fake wall lifted and inside they could see that Yuna was unconscious and strapped to this machine the summoners were talking about. Tubes connected to her body and every single one of the souls in the glass chambers were forced into her.

"Yuna!" Tidus yelled.

"I see you've all survived the little setup I've put out for you," Eiren said. "I would take the time to punish my servant, but I'd rather demolish your glorious posse instead."

"Let her go!" Lulu said.

"If I let her go, then the entire world of Spira will be doomed," Eiren said. "Spira will thank me for this. If not now, in the near future."

He levitated his body while Tidus tried to reach Yuna. He expanded his arm to touch her body, and he tried jumping up to reach her, but she was too high.

"Those spirits paid the price for their unwelcome visit to Spira." Eiren said. "Both the living and the dead did. Who was responsible for their death? Sin. And I… _we_ are going to defeat it. We are going to avenge everyone, for all the pain, all the sadness, the remorse… we are going to destroy grief! And the Beckoning will continue for all eternity! Everyone that has lost a love one shall be reunited and the world itself can judge who does and who doesn't deserve it!"

Gaia shot an arrow in him and he stopped speaking for a second. He turned his attention to her and his expression turned from sinister to utterly downhearted.

"You again?" he said.

The rest of the crew followed suit. They started attacking him while he kept a brief second of his attention on Gaia, who was trying very hard to interpret this man's strange behavior when he looked at her. Then Eiren came to, and he threw each of the crew members back against the wall with an invisible force. They were each held against the brick with an unusual amount of strength. Tidus jumped high enough for his hand to make contact with Yuna's leg. When his hand went through it, it made contact with the excessive amount of pyreflies and felt like touching fire.

When the glass chambers were emptied, Eiren smiled viciously. The crew prepared to fight but they were blinded by a sudden burst of light. When the light died down, Eiren's body was on the floor and a black, shadowy figure with a read aura surrounding it was in the air. Everyone had their mouths open in complete shock. They'd only seen a type of shadowy figure such as this one once. It was when they were fighting Yu Yevon's spirit. Lulu immediately fired spells its way, but it deflected them by casting a shell in front of it. Wakka threw his ball and he dodged in time when the spirit sent it back. Chuami held the heavy sword in front of her with shaking hands, sweating profusely. Gaia kept her stance, her bow in hand, glaring at the spirit.

Tidus turned around and was petrified. He felt hatred and a tidal wave of anger radiating from the spirit and the strength it had intimidated him. He heard an evil, terrifying laughter coming from it.

When the spirit entered Yuna's body, the same bright flash could be seen and Yuna was outlined with the black and red atmosphere. The spirit freed her from the machine and Yuna fell to the floor without waking. Tidus walked up to her and before he could attempt to hold her, her eyes opened and revealed the horrific glow instead of her gentle, blue and green eyes. She rose to the air, the black and red aura emanating from her. She looked devious, nothing at all like the Yuna they'd all known and loved. Combined with the power of every summoner, every sender, and this enigmatic spirit, she seemed almost godlike. She held out her hand and formed a massive ball of energy without effort. The purest form of the fayth's power.

"Yuna! Are you still in there?!" Rikku said.

"You let her go you son of a bitch!" Wakka yelled.

"Yuna!" Tidus yelled. She couldn't hear him, she couldn't see him. At that point, she and the spirit couldn't see anything but their mission ahead.

"I am Yuna no longer," both voices said at the same time. "I am going to save Spira. This is for our future."

With that, Yuna and the spirit vanished, leaving a cloud of black smoke behind.

Everyone felt as though they were having a stroke. Nobody moved for a second as they were too in complete shock to handle the situation. Wakka turned to the man that had been holding this spirit the entire time as he was slowly waking up.

"What did you just do…?" Wakka said.

When Eiren didn't answer him, he went over, grabbed the man by his shoulders and shook him.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!"

Eiren's eyes opened and he turned his head in every corner. "Where… where am I? What's… what's going on?"

"Don't pull that shit on me!"

"I didn't do anything, I swear! It was all him! I wasn't trying to hurt anyone! I just wanted to see her!"

"Bullshit!" Wakka threw him against the floor and was about to hit him. He wanted to hit him until he was insentient. He felt a hand holding his arm back.

"Wakka, don't!" Gaia said.

He turned his head to her, trying to pull his arm free of her grasp.

"You know this guy?!"

Gaia didn't answer him. Wakka dropped his arm and took a couple of steps back. Tidus came over to the cowering man on the floor. He stood up on legs that had very little strength in them. His eyes watered as he stared at the woman standing before him. He no longer looked like the daunting sender that had antagonized them since the very beginning. He seemed like just an unvarying, contemptable human, oblivious to everything he'd started. Despite this, Gaia didn't reflect the same reaction when their eyes met. She glared at him, her eyebrows sharp and fire in her eyes. She clenched her fists, suddenly remembering everything about this man.

"I finally found you," Eiren said to her. "I've… I've been wanting to see you since… since you left."

Wakka was confused and his mouth was slightly open. Then, they felt the building shake. Everyone escaped the scene except Gaia and Eiren, who stayed in position for a minute.

"Gaia, come on!" Rikku said.

Gaia turned around and fled, leaving Eiren feeling dejected as he stood in the middle of the awaiting destruction. He stopped pitying himself as he followed.

"We gotta get to the ships!" Rikku said.

Before they could reach the hallway, they were stopped by a terrifying version of Bahamut. One that had purple fire in its eyes and on its surface.

On the surface, a battle between what was left of the Council Forces and the hybrid fiends occurred, the thick Farplane mist surrounding every part of the city. Corpses were scattered around the entire city and the fiends were plentiful. Yuna flew above Bevelle, witnessing the pandemonium. She used her power to create a raging storm with extremely high winds and constant lightning. She took some of the hybrid fiends and tore them apart. Everyone involved in this fight was met with an obstacle as both the Farplane mist and the heavy storm were making it difficult to see. She created random boulders and stones and threw them down, smashing the other fiends. Anything was possible, but not everything, and the spirit brought both their attention to the task that had started many years ago.

Her eyes glowed like flames and the pyreflies within her reacted. She raised her arms and started building her armor. The people stopped battling for a second to watch in astonishment as an enormous phoenix spread its wings and roared loud enough to shake the ground beneath. The bird was much larger than Sin's entire body and its surface was made of black and red fire. Its eyes were inert. Yuna's body was placed within the heart of the creature and dark vines wrapped around her limbs. The spirit within her took control of the entire bird through these vines and Yuna closed her eyes as she fell in a deep sleep. The phoenix took off and flew at an unnatural speed north of Bevelle, the force of its wings causing casualties.

"What was that?!" Chuami said.

"I don't know!" Kurgum yelled.

Bahamut roared as the building continued shaking, bits and pieces from the ceiling falling. The crew was about to fight the aeon, but the entire ceiling above them fell. The crew took cover and braced the collapse of the building, but it was stopped. Each of them looked up and saw that Bahamut was keeping it from falling on them. Bahamut kept the rubble above it and readied a Mega Flare attack, and the crew jumped out of the way as it used the move to create a gigantic hole in the side of the dungeon, leading them to a way out. They didn't have much time as more of the palace was starting to fall apart.

"Come on!" Rikku said.

"What about Tidus?" Wakka said.

"He'll… he'll catch up with us!" Rikku responded, hopelessly.

Tidus wanted to scream at them. He was there the entire time and he couldn't make that known to them. Every one of them, including Eiren, rushed out through the hole and towards the city. Bahamut stayed, dropping the part of the ceiling while the palace fell apart around it. Tidus ran through the Farplane mist, suffering a period of tinnitus, but he paused for a brief second as he noticed the city wasn't the same as when he'd first seen it. He saw both the living and the dead, the living being the Council Forces and residents fleeing. The dead stood around the bodies of their relatives, wishing they could've done something to protect them. The city was still where it was, but Tidus could see the same vibrant flowers he'd seen at Djose, growing along the paths, the side of the buildings, and the ghostly moaning could be heard from them. The sky was completely clear again, and the warm feeling he'd gotten when he saw it returned.

 _I'd only felt such a feeling like this once. It was when I'd been in the Farplane, and at that second, after everything that'd happened to me from when I woke up in that prison cell, I had the feeling I wasn't in Spira anymore._


	21. A Blessing in Disguise

**A Blessing in Disguise**

The storm raged on, the lightning and thunder nearly bringing Rikku back into her phobia. Fighting against monsters, the team kept running until they eventually made it out of Bevelle. Gaia led them through the thick Farplane mist and as she did, she could see the Council Forces being slashed by the hybrid fiends and reforming as spirits. Gaia slowed down a bit when she noticed something else happen. When the human soldiers dispersed into pyreflies, some of them appeared as spirits, while others appeared as some of the vibrant flowers. One of the team members called to her attention and she kept running. The rain was so heavy that it felt like rocks against their skin. Not only that, but it was extremely difficult to see. Eiren was trying to match their speed, but his old age and his lack of escaping strength made it much harder.

"Slow down!" he called after them. Gaia kept going. She didn't want anything to do with him, though a certain part of her felt guilty about leaving him in the pouring rain. She kept going until eventually, she could no longer hear the sound of his voice. None of them could and Eiren was lost in a sea of clouds and a heavy storm.

They ran until they finally arrived at the Calm Lands, where the trail of the Farplane mist stopped in the direct center. The thunder and lightning started to lessen but the rain was still extreme. When the excruciating feeling came back into Gaia's body, she knew the crew was in danger. She ran far ahead of the crew until they couldn't see her anymore and they assumed she saw the Inn a couple of miles ahead of them and ran for it. Once they made it to the small Inn, they were drenched and shivering. Most of all, they felt as though their spirits had been shattered. The peace had been undone, their hopes of saving Yuna were withering, and Spira had become a hostile place for its own people.

Lulu hated herself for losing the one person who had entrusted Lulu with her life. One that'd been like a sister to her for thirteen years. Lulu didn't dare want to think that death had come for Yuna. None of them did. However, sitting in the abandoned Inn, with nothing but an Al Bhed mechanical expert, a bumbling caretaker, the mayor of Besaid, a fainthearted sender, and a descendant from the "best guardian there ever was" with an attitude, they felt as though they would need much more if they were going to take down the Black Phoenix.

"Uh…" Rikku looked around the place. She tried turning on the lights, but the storm tampered with the Inn's electricity.

"What happens now?" Chuami asked Wakka.

"I don't know…" he said, rubbing his face in his hands. "Fuck…"

"This place had a CommSphere…" Rikku said, then sighed. "But… a fiend ate it…"

"Is there anyplace nearby that has a CommSphere?" Lulu asked.

"Uh… oh! The Monster Arena!" she said. "Well… it used to be the Monster Arena."

"Does it work?" Lulu asked.

"I… believe so," she said. "But we can't go over there in this weather…"

Wakka gave her a look. "You still afraid of lightning?"

"Nah, but… it seems kinda dangerous out there."

The Calm Lands didn't have any lightning rod towers and it was dusk out, meaning the entire place would be pitch black in a small amount of time.

"We'll wait until the storm passes," Lulu said.

"If it ever ends…" Rikku replied.

"It _will_ end," Lulu replied in a firm voice. "It has to."

Wakka looked around them and noticed they were missing another person.

"Wait… where's Gaia?"

"She didn't seem to find her way into the Inn…" Rikku said.

They looked in each corner, each room, and the small area outside, but the results yielded little success.

"You think she's still outside?" Wakka asked.

"Well, she's not _in_ side," Rikku said.

Wakka looked towards the entrance to the Inn. The storm was still at its worst and he knew it wouldn't be ideal for him to head out at this point, but he worried she would get lost and never be able to find them once they departed.

"Rikku, you got a flashlight?"

"Uh…" she dug through her inventory. "No, but I can make you something that can produce light for a little bit."

"You're not going out _there_ , are you?" Lulu asked.

"I have to," he said. "She might be attacked by fiends."

"She won't get hurt if she dived into the Farplane mist."

"I know," Wakka was waiting for Rikku to fix a source of light. "But I gotta find her. That crazy bum might catch up to her, and who knows what he'll do, ya?"

"Wakka…" Lulu said.

She was aware she wasn't going to win him over, and instead, she halted her argument and straightened her posture. "I'm going with you."

"Don't, I don't want you getting hurt." he took the small Light Sphere Rikku pulled together from an empty sphere and a Lightning Gem. It would be enough to get him towards the end of the Calm Lands and back, but not any further.

"Wakka, I don't trust you to handle yourself out there-"

"I know," he grabbed his blitzball. "But you should."

Her expression changed into something Wakka hadn't seen before. It wasn't just worry, it was actual fear that he wouldn't return. He'd only known that look from when his brother said to both of them that he wanted to fight Sin with the Crusaders, and how the color drained from her face when he mentioned it. Wakka nodded to her, saying that everything would be okay before turning around to leave.

"Wakka," she said, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. " _Please…_ be careful."

"I will." He said before disappearing into the expanding dark horizon.

Tidus wouldn't give up. He may not have known where, or what he was, or what just happened before his very eyes, but one thing he was sure of was that he wouldn't get anywhere by sulking. No matter how much he wanted to. He was bombarded with battles between the Forces and the fiends, and he thought he was on the verge of insanity when corpses started to reanimate as spirits. Some of them were still fighting in death, while others disappeared completely. People from both sides were so densely populated together that it was hard for Tidus to see ahead of him.

"Hey! Somebody help me out here! I don't know what to do…"

The spirits and the living people ignored him.

"Please!" he yelled.

Everything was in chaos and he didn't know where, or who to turn to. Then the reality struck him like a block of ice from a Blizaga spell. Yuna was gone, taken under the control of a powerful spirit. Tidus had completely surrendered himself to the Farplane but not out of his own free will. He was disconnected from the world of Spira, and had the misfortune of being in that state with his friends. Perhaps his first theory had been right all along, and he was nothing but a dream conceived by the fayth.

"AHH!" he screamed as his hands tore into his hair and the anger burst out of him like an erupting volcano. Everyone refused to help him and he couldn't tell if it was because he was invisible and inaudible to them, or they were purposefully leaving him in the cold. Dropping to his knees, he kicked and screamed and tried pulling out the vibrant flowers that have haunted him since Djose, but they remained intact. They even yelled at him for trying to remove them. Confused and angry, Tidus continued to shout at nothing, and he pressed his forehead to the ground, wondering if he could possibly sink through the floor.

 _It didn't matter to me how childish I was being. The one that I was sworn to protect and gave up my existence for is gone. My friends couldn't see, or hear me no matter how many loud noises I made. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know where to go. Hell, I still couldn't figure out what I was. I was scared, angry, but most of all..._

"Lost?" a voice said.

Tidus perked his sobbing head to witness the source of the voice. A young girl, so heavenly looking, with long brown hair held in braids. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips were purple. She wore long Yevon robes and a dark blue cape with fur lining.

Tidus wiped the tears from his face. "Hey, you can see me! And you're not ignoring me like the rest of those guys."

"Oh, yes," she replied. "They are holding many grudges against you."

Tidus looked around him. "What? Why?"

"Still trying to decipher your true nature?" she asked.

"I've been trying to figure that out since Bevelle!" he yelled. "Er… the _first_ time in Bevelle. I don't know where I am, or what I am, or how I ended up here. I don't know anything anymore…"

The girl shook her head. "You'd better find an answer to those questions of yours, or you'll meet the unfortunate fate of those spirits."

She gestured towards the wandering specters that paced around in circles, not knowing what path to take. Tidus came up to the girl and observed their behavior. They looked like they were trapped, despite the large amount of space around them.

"What's wrong with them?" Tidus asked, almost horrified.

"They don't know who they are, anymore," she replied. "They've lost their way long ago, and with it, all traces of their identity."

Tidus shuddered at the thought. "Wait, but that still doesn't answer my question of why they hate me, nor does it help me figure out where, or what I am."

The girl scouted ahead, passing through the living and dead people like it was nothing. Before leaving him completely alone, she added one last remark.

"If you want the answers, you must seek them," she added. "When you have, we shall speak again. Until then, farewell."

Tidus started walking towards her, then his walk turned into a run. "Wait!"

It was too late, she'd already gone. Her words seemed to have only caused more questions in his mind. How could he seek the answers when he didn't even know where to start?

"Maybe… maybe the fayth could help me," he said.

He hadn't wandered far away from Bevelle, and as he skid past the fights and the battles, the spirits regarded him with more respect. At least, more respect than before. They still never spoke a word to him, but they stopped traveling aimlessly to give him a look of recognition. It was almost a miracle that one of the many spirits here found their way.

That way wasn't one Tidus thought he could travel. It took him halfway through the area from outside the palace to the entrance to the temple to realize something.

"I can't go in the temple," he said, sighing. "I'm banned, or something like that."

It had also taken him a while from when he left the entrance to the temple to realize that he was being followed. In the crowd of audacious spirits and living beings, Tidus swore on his life, or un-life, that he saw a read cloak with one sleeve hanging loose turn away from him and keep walking. He saw the red cloaked figure disappear back into the crowd and decided to follow.

"Hey, wait…" he was saying it to himself while trying to say it to the person.

He walked through the people and noticed when they died, they either transformed into the flowers, or they remained humanlike. He was distracted for a bit as he watched the lost spirits scream and continue walking in an endless circle. The fresh spirits were unaware that they've died until they saw the world around them. Some of them moved out of Tidus's way and eventually when he reached the end of the crowd, his smile widened as he caught up to his old friend.

"Auron! I'm so glad to see you!" he said, tears forming in his eyes again. "How'd you find me?"

"I've been watching this disaster of yours unfold since you appeared back to the real world." Auron didn't sound angry when he spoke. Rather, he sounded irritated, like he'd done all of this before.

Tidus hung his head. "You saw all of it?"

"We can see everything from here," Auron said.

"Where _is_ this place, anyway?"

Auron scoffed. "You don't know what you are, you don't know where you are. You _have_ helped saved Spira once before, haven't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then those answers should come to you easier than that,"

"All I know is that I was dead all along, and that Yuna somehow brought me back, and the fayth wanted me on Spira to fight Sin, and that I…" he tilted his head up and realized he was talking to himself. "Hey! I'm not done here! I need your help!"

Auron stopped walking and sighed heavily.

"You can't have my help if you don't want to seek the truth," he said. "Even when it's right in front of you."

"I _do_ want the truth, dammit!" he balled his fists and stomped the ground in a tantrum. "I don't know anything!"

Auron turned to face him. "What is it that you think you know?"

Tidus stopped his fit. "I know that Sin came back, that the Farplane's a mess because of it. Spirits are able to walk freely, I think because the Farplane came out of it's hole. I came back because of Yuna, or maybe the fayth brought me back. It's still a little hazy to me. Dad said the fayth needed my help, but I don't know how I can help them from here. That psycho sender was apparently possessed by Yu Yevon. And it's got Yuna. Then I ended up here."

"That's it?"

"Well, what else do you want me to say?" Tidus ran his hands through his hair. "You asked me what I know."

"What you _think_ you know."

"I just appeared here," he said. "I don't know where I'm at, or how I got here. All I know is that I have to get back to Spira and save Yuna. Save everyone."

Auron shook his head. "You are hopeless."

"Hey! Not helping!"

"What do you expect _me_ to say?" Auron said.

"I don't know, maybe some advice?"

"The answers to your questions are all around you," Auron said. "Do as the girl says. Seek and you will find."

"I don't even know where to start…"

Auron didn't answer him. He was staring off into the distance where the waterfall was flowing and the pyreflies were traveling. Bevelle never had a waterfall beside it, but there it was. Loud and magnificent.

"I've seen a waterfall like this before," Tidus said. "And these flowers. It was when we were visiting the Farplane. But, these flowers are growing along the streets and buildings, not like vines, but flowers popping out of nonliving material. There's no mountain holding that waterfall in place, yet it's actually there. I can see people becoming spirits after dying, and some of them not appearing as spirits. I guess, all those signs are pointing to the Farplane. We're in the Farplane, aren't we?"

"It took you long enough," Auron replied.

"I saw spirits appearing like they do on the Farplane in Spira, Auron." Tidus put his hands on his hips.

"What else was on Spira that would've normally been in the Farplane?"

"Uh…" Tidus scratched his head. "Oh, right. The Farplane clouds. I guess that means that Spira and the Farplane are in the same place at the same time."

Both listened as the flowers whispered incomprehensible words to each other. It was almost as if they were speaking different languages. It was a definite possibility, with how long the Farplane had existed. Tidus knelt before them and observed the colors. He didn't notice before, but the flowers had the smallest of pyreflies within them, and looking close with a magnifying glass, which Tidus didn't have, he theorized that he could've seen memories of the living.

"These aren't flowers, are they?" he said.

Auron shook his head even though Tidus didn't notice.

"Are they souls?" Tidus asked. He could hear one answer him in a raspy voice.

" _Yes_ …"

Tidus turned his head to the humanlike spirits.

"But _those_ are also souls over there," he said. "Why aren't they apart of these flowers?"

"Something is still keeping them from completely passing on," Auron answered. "When they died, they came in contact with the Farplane mist, and that drew them into the Farplane, without being sent. But something is still keeping them from accepting death. These flowers are souls that have accepted death, but those that still feel a connection to Spira, whether it's somebody missing them, or unfinished business, linger as they were in corporeal form."

"Like me…" Tidus said, looking at his hands for what seemed like the thousandth time. "Wait, that means you, too. What's keeping you from going?"

Tidus expected Auron to say 'because somebody had to help you', but instead he didn't say anything. Tidus stood and walked over to the legendary guardian.

"Is it Jecht?" he asked.

"Possibly,"

"Or, maybe it's Yuna."

"Doubtful,"

"Wait, no, I got it," Tidus thought for a second. "Chuami."

From the way Auron didn't give him a response, Tidus suspected he was right.

"Have you actually met her?"

Auron shook his head.

"You've just seen her traveling with me?"

"Yes,"

"Do you want to see her?"

Auron started walking away from him. "We don't have time to discuss this."

"Wait! Do you?" Tidus had to run to catch up to him.

They traveled out of Bevelle, away from the mess and the troubled souls. Eventually they were on the path towards Macalania temple. Tidus stopped and went through his brain to find what else he remembered.

"I still don't know how I got here,"

"Is it really relevant?"

"Yeah, if it can help me get out of here."

"It won't be that easy," Auron said.

"Probably not, but it can help me find my way,"

" _You_ can help yourself find your way," Auron replied.

"Right, but it might help me here," Tidus thought for a moment. "I was on the airship, that creep came up and knocked us out, and then I was in prison. But I think I already crossed over to the Farplane because my friends couldn't hear me. Maybe I died in my sleep?"

"What did you discover about yourself before then?" Auron asked.

"Uh… that sender said I relied on the same power that Yuna used to conjure aeons to walk on Spira."

"Do you know what that means?"

"It means I was summoned."

"There's a different method used to describe it," Auron said. "A practice that wasn't used until you arrived on Spira the second time."

Tidus thought for a moment.

"I saw words on the dungeon walls in Bevelle," he said. "'Betrayed', 'revenge', and… 'beckoned'. I don't know what 'beckoned' means, but… I saw it there. Is that what you're talking about? I've never heard the word 'beckoned' except maybe…"

He remembered Lulu saying, " _When a summoner beckons, the souls of the fayth emerge again."_

"So… that makes me an aeon, right?"

"Not exactly," Auron said.

"A fayth?"

Auron shook his head.

"What is a 'beckoned'?"

"A spirit," Auron replied.

"That's it?" Tidus said. "What's special about it, then?"

"You weren't summoned, you were beckoned back into this world based on the wish of a living being."

"What? But I saw people bring back the memories of the dead," Tidus said. "But those were just illusions. I'm not an illusion, I don't fade in and out like they do…"

He said it, but he thought about the many times he faded starting with when Eiren cornered them in front of the Djose temple.

"Wait…" his eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that I'm nothing more than just one of those spirits brought back because of the will of the living?"

Auron nodded.

"That can't be right!" Tidus said. "The fayth… they… they brought me back here because they needed me to help fight Sin! Yuna… Yuna did the same thing, but… I was brought back to save Spira. I'm not just here because Yuna wanted me to be…"

"You are," Auron said. "That's why you came back to Spira after you disappeared when Sin was defeated. And when you exploded on that island."

"No way," he said. "I… I'm not just another one of those spirits."

He stomped the ground.

"You refused to believe it, but the truth was always right in front of you." Auron said.

"I… I didn't know, though," Tidus said. "I felt so… real, even after I found out I died. I felt like an actual human being."

"You didn't want to leave that world," Auron said. "You didn't want to leave Yuna."

"But… if I'm one of those spirits," Tidus said. "That means I'm a problem that has to be 'taken care of', just like them… that means I'm a byproduct of Eiren's demented actions."

Auron sighed. "A downhearted way of looking at it, but yes."

Tidus sighed. "But… I can't go yet! I have to return to Spira and save Yuna. I have to do that, but… I'm worried. If I go back to Spira, I'm worried I might become a fiend, like those guys did."

"You won't," a voice said.

Tidus turned his head to the girl in the long robes.

"So, you've found the answers to your questions?" she asked.

"Hardly," Tidus replied. "There's still things I don't understand. Maybe I don't even want to…"

The girl started towards the path. "We all have to learn the hard truth, someday."

She turn her head towards them and motioned for the two to follow. "Come."

Tidus looked at Auron who was already walking towards the girl. Tidus wasn't sure if he should follow as he'd probably discover more disturbing things he didn't want to know, but he didn't have a choice. It was that, or losing his way and his identity, and becoming a Lost Soul. He wondered, because he was in the Farplane before he came to Spira the second time, if he'd stayed much longer than two years, maybe he would've forgotten who he was, who Yuna was, and Spira altogether.

As they walked, there was a tranquil melody emitting from the girl. Tidus recognized it before, but he didn't know exactly what it was. He just had known he heard it over and over again. The girl led them to Macalania temple and Auron chose to wait at the entrance.

"You're not coming in?" Tidus asked.

"I'm not the one that needs explanations," Auron replied.

Tidus was about to enter, but hesitated. "I can't go, there's a forcefield around it..."

"The rules are different in this world." the girl said.

She disappeared into the temple. When Tidus walked through, he saw that it was no longer empty. People were on their knees, performing the Yevon prayer over and over again as if it would make any amount of difference. Spirits were beside the living people, and they just sat there with the unfortunate truth that they couldn't help the living. They just stood, separated from the real world. Tidus thought there couldn't have been any worse treatment.

"This way," the girl said, standing at the top of the stairs. Tidus walked up the long stairs, not even bothering to open the door. Memories played before him of High Priest Seymour Guado being killed repeatedly. He yelled in pain and Tidus just scoffed at him.

 _Serves him right…_ he thought.

He looked at the door that stood before the Chamber of the Fayth. When he entered, he didn't see any living or dead people inside the area. Instead, the statue of the fayth was illuminating and Tidus finally recognized the tune the girl was humming as the Hymn of the Fayth. She levitated atop of the once deactivated statue and looked down on him as he listened to the hymn.

"You're a fayth," he said.

She smiled as a mysterious wind blew through her hair and upon finding this out, Tidus felt something he hadn't felt since this entire debacle began: relief.


	22. A Hymn Called Fayth and Misery

**A Hymn Called Fayth and Misery**

 _What if everything that happened to me was a dream and I was the only thing that was real?_

While Tidus had been spirited away to the ethereal plane, Rikku spend the time trying to construct a new CommSphere. Her materials were very limited and she didn't have Shinra's skills to successfully make one out of raw elements, but she was desperate. She had to contact the ship Gippal and Rin left on and rescue her cousin. Lulu was trying to remain calm under the sheer stress of the situation, while also worrying about Wakka trespassing through the flat plains on his own. Both females had their thoughts interrupted when they heard the sound of someone walking straight into a couple of noisy objects near the back of the pitch black Inn.

At the same time, Wakka was wading through knee-high blades of grass and puddles of muddy water. It felt as though the blades were hugging his legs and keeping him from walking any faster. He draped his arm across his forehead and tried to block the raindrops from getting in his eyes. He shined the Light Sphere ahead of him and clutched his World Champion to his chest. All pestering thoughts and assumptions were thrown out of his mind just so he could focus on bringing Gaia safely back to the rest of the crew. However, when he did, the first thing he would ask her was about this sender and why he caused this turn of events because he wanted to see Gaia. He paused for a second because when he casted the Light Sphere in front of him, he could see the outline of a trembling figure ahead.

"Am I really that dense?" Tidus asked the fayth.

"No." The fayth replied, although Tidus didn't believe her. He felt so arrogant because he figured he was holding himself up to such a high state that he couldn't possibly be like the others.

"What would've happened if Yuna told me the truth?"

"You wouldn't have existed for as long as you did."

Tidus flopped against the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"So… in other words, I _am_ still a dream?" he concluded. "It's just that, instead of being conjured by the fayth, I was brought up by Yuna. I was brought up by a summoner, and one with a lot of power, apparently. And… I bet all of this really is my fault…"

"You're a consequence of the situation, not a cause. You weren't brought to the real world out of your own free will."

"But you could say the same about the first time I came to Spira. Even if I didn't choose to be there, I still was responsible for fixing Spira's problems."

"Not on your own."

"Right… I had Yuna's help. And everyone else's. Wait… Yuna! She was captured by Yu Yevon, wasn't she?"

The fayth shook her head.

"No? Well… if it's not Yu Yevon, then who…?"

He noticed the room became dark and somewhat unsettling. The fayth's demeanor changed from solemn to completely aggravated. She looked as if she was recalling some painful memories.

"He is another Lost Soul roaming in a place in which he does not belong," she continued, levitating with her legs crossed and her hair traveling all over the place. "His name is… his name _was_ Onryo."

"Hold it right there!" Rikku yelled.

She was shouting at Eiren who managed to sneak into the Inn, but it was too dark for him to navigate around the cluttered area. Rikku created another Light Sphere in less than a minute and saw him trying to escape through the exit. Lulu didn't even have to look behind her as she planted an enormous icicle in front of his path.

"Leave me alone!" Eiren yelled, heading for the window.

Lulu shocked him with a minor thunder spell.

"I… just wanted… to see her…" he mumbled as his weakened body slumped against the wall.

Rikku took some rope she often carried with her from her bag and bound his wrists together. She sat his twitching body in the middle of the room and placed the Light Sphere in front of him.

"W-what's going on?" he asked.

"We'll be asking the questions here." Lulu said.

"Watch the exit, Kurgum," Chuami said as she joined the interrogation. In the time she'd been a sender, she often thought of him as somewhat closed off and solitary, but not a powerful, apocalypse-bringing sociopath.

"Who are you?" Lulu asked.

"I… my name is Eiren and I'm a sender for the Council. I always have been."

"Liar!" Rikku said.

"Why don't you try confirming that with the other two people that are involved with the Council?"

Chuami sat down on her knees in front of him. "Just because you have worked as a sender with us doesn't mean you don't have any underlying secrets."

"I… I don't!"

"Remember that thunder spell?" Rikku said. "Well this is a super skilled black mage and she's got more where that came from. Now spill the beans!"

Eiren hung his head. "I guess I have no choice."

The storm was starting to die down as he spoke.

"I'm sure you all are more than aware of the break in the barrier between the Farplane and Spira. Spirits are roaming around the real world without a true place, and reuniting with people they've lost. That is no mystery."

"We've noticed." Chuami said.

"I'd been awakened and was a sender for Bevelle not too long before it started happening. When I heard about the overflow of pyrefly energy at the Moonflow, I decided to investigate."

"On your own?" Chuami asked.

"Please, that young fellow over there is the only one that requires any permission to analyze a problem without assistance."

"Go on." Lulu said.

"I heard that relatives were being 'beckoned' back into the world by sorrowful hearts and longing relatives. I am guilty of being in the same category of those people, and I went to see if I could reconcile with someone dearly close to me."

His tone of voice shifted and he sounded much more melodramatic than before.

"I sat in front of the banks of the Moonflow, observing the dancing balls of light and the sound of the illusions around me. How peculiar it was that they spoke when conjurations of memories in the Farplane do not. I prayed to the fayth, to anyone, to see her again. I wanted to repent for years of my stupidity and my pride. Something appeared before me, but it wasn't the one I was looking for."

"What was it?" Rikku asked.

"I don't rightly know," he claimed. "It was a cluster of black smoke and red flames outlining it. I know I didn't create this thing, and I had it in me to flee, but then… it started speaking to me. It spoke in the most demonic way possible, and before I could walk any further, it told me the words it knew I wanted to hear."

"It knew what you wanted." Lulu said.

"It said it knew what I desires most, and if I did its bidding, the thing I wanted would be mine. I… I didn't think it meant any of these tragic things that have happened when it said that… I knew better than to take its offer, but… at that moment, all I could think of was how sorry I was for how I treated her… I was an idiot, I was unfair, and I let her get away and then her life ended shortly after because of Sin… her death was my doing! I had to fix the broken relationship between us, I needed to tell her how sorry I was… I needed to fix the image she had of me… but before I could do anything… the monster grabbed ahold of my body and held me against my will. I couldn't escape its grasp, and I was overwhelmed with anger and vengeance…"

"Vengeance about what?" Lulu asked.

"To stop Sin, to kill Sin, to free everyone that'd been absorbed by Sin, free everyone that'd given their lives to become the Final Aeon. Those weren't my own thoughts. They were his. And… it wasn't even worth it because she… didn't even want to see me… I don't blame her."

"Who is 'she'?" Lulu asked.

Eiren lowered his gaze and exhaled sharply. "My daughter…"

"How did Onryo escape the Farplane?" Tidus asked.

"The break between the ethereal and corporeal realm," the fayth replied. "It began when you set foot on Spira the second time."

"Was he also beckoned back?"

"No, but the break allowed for him to cross. He didn't appear in the real world as a person like the other spirits had, nor was he a fiend. He was literally a manifestation of his hatred and thirst for revenge."

"Against Sin?"

She nodded. "Long ago, when the concept of Sin and the religion of Yevon was in its infancy, he was a young boy that lived within the streets of Bevelle."

The pyreflies around them morphed into the dark silhouette of a small child.

"He was driven at an early age to defeat Sin by the loss of his only family members. He'd spend many years from then on training to become a summoner. He fought monstrous fiends, he looked up to many summoners, he took the advice from wise scholars and many priests. Then, he met his only guardian, Yokai."

The silhouette changed to an older male and what Tidus assumed to be a female silhouette appeared beside the man.

"The pilgrimage went well, and Yokai was doing everything in her power to protect her summoner. They'd formed an unbreakable bond together that couldn't be severed by the sharpest of knives. They had fallen deeply in love, but unfortunately, it wasn't to last."

Tidus was completely aware how this story would end.

"They went to Zanarkand… and learned the truth." He said.

The fayth looked sad for a second.

"But… Yuna told us that this man… he wasn't about destroying Sin anymore. He wanted to use the summoner's powers for creating these crazy things, like fiends and horrifying aeons. What did he mean by…?"

"His guardian desperately tried to convince him to continue on, to choose her as his fayth and to finish the suffering once and for all. He believed that what she was saying was true, and Sin was defeated."

The scenario changed to the silhouette of the man being by himself.

"He remained on Spira, not having accepted the fact that he had to be sent, and she did not."

"Because she was Sin?"

"Yes, and thus he stayed in the real world, vowing to save her from Sin's clutches. He wanted to bring her back into his life, and he believed that the only thing that would allow him to do so was beckoning."

Wakka was careful as he walked closer to the woman. He flashed the light at her body and he could see fresh marks on the back of her legs and her arms. He called out to her quietly as not to startle her, but she didn't respond to him.

"Are… you okay?"

Nothing but silence.

"You should… come back with us. It's not safe out here…"

"I can't," she finally said.

"Why not?"

Once again, it was quiet.

"Come on, I'm not gonna let you stay here and get hurt by those fiends. They're everywhere around here and you could…"

She turned around and he could see that it was too late. Her eyes were white, her fangs were sharp, her hands were claws. He dropped his ball and the Sphere and stood back.

"Woah… hey…"

She didn't hesitate and struck him with one of her sharp claws. It wasn't enough to knock him down but he saw that his forearm had three deep streaks, and they hurt tremendously. He looked up at her and saw something he hadn't with any of her kind. She was back to her normal human self when she'd realized what she'd done and her hands were clasped over her mouth. Her eyes watered up and before he could stop her, she ran into the darkness.

"Wait, you mean beckoning used to be an everyday thing? Like anyone could do it like they can now?" Tidus asked.

"Not quite," the fayth replied. "Beckoning someone back from the depths of the Farplane requires a deep connection between beckoned and beckoner. It could be one between lovers, parent and child, extremely strong friendships. The illusions you see on the Moonflow aren't exactly beckons. They are a creation of the thoughts of the living."

"Just like in the Farplane at Guadosalam."

"Yes, but now the Farplane is out of its containment, and those illusions have the opportunity to walk that world and become exposed to similar feelings that the living experience."

"And they become fiends for the same reason?"

"Not all of them."

"What are the other reasons?"

"Have you felt the need to repent for something you've done, or said to somebody else?"

"Well, yeah, lots of times."

"Enough for you to want to repeat that moment when you said or did that regrettable thing?"

"Yes."

"You see, the beckoned are a composition of individual souls. Ones that have thoughts and feelings, and they aren't in a place where they belong when they escape the confines of the Farplane. Because of that, those souls become angry at the beckoner for wanting to repent for their sins by bringing those pyreflies out from their eternal rest, hence why the illusions and the beckoned become fiends."

"Why are the fiends still half-human?"

"Because the beckoned still have their own conscious away from their pyreflies. They don't want to become fiends, but the pyreflies are stronger-willed."

"Do they remember who they are when they become fiends?"

"They can."

"Then that means they can control it like how normal unsent people can control it, right?"

"It requires a certain action in order for the beckoned to completely take control of this transformation."

"And that is?"

"The beckoned and the beckoner must come to an understanding of the other's suffering, and both must overcome their conflicts."

Tidus sat down and furrowed his brow. "So… that's why I didn't become a fiend? Because Yuna and I didn't have those problems?"

"Yes, and you don't fault the living for being alive."

"Why didn't Onryo just accept that Yokai was Sin and he couldn't bring her back?"

"Because while he was desperately trying, he stumbled upon another feature of the summoner's power. He unintentionally conjured something he shouldn't have. A monster."

The silhouette was accompanied by shadows of different fiend-like creatures.

"He utilized the power to create stronger and stronger fiends, and that's when he suddenly realized that he could avenge everybody, he could free everyone that was captured, absorbed, and taken by Sin, if he created a creature strong enough to defeat Sin the next time it appeared."

"But… you guys stripped that power from him, right?"

"Yes. You see, this power, creating inanimate objects and powerful beings out of the air, it stresses the hearts of the aeons. It's quite harmful to us. And so, the power was taken from him. He sought out to find other methods of gaining this power, and that's when he discovered the Soul Machina."

"Why was it there in the first place?"

"During the Machina War, Bevelle was interested in using the power within Zanarkand's summoners against them. This machine was created to absorb the energy from them and give it to a host that would be able to use it. It was completed, but the machine and the project was abandoned when Bevelle was destroyed by the very first Sin."

"Was that machine also destroyed then?"

"Only slightly, but those that created it kept in mind to keep it hidden deep underground, in order to prevent any harm to come to it."

"What happened next?"

"During Onryo's time, machina was forbidden, and he promised amnesty and freedom for several Al Bhed workers that were kept underneath Bevelle to rebuild its machina parts. Only if they were to do as he asked. They reconstructed that machine, but as the time went by, Onryo started losing control of himself and he was becoming more fiendish with each passing day. His anger towards Sin, his hatred for Yu Yevon, was driving him towards becoming as monstrous as his creation. When the machina was finally finished, Bevelle had become aware of his treason. They tried to capture him, but before they could lay the slightest amount of damage, he fully transformed into a fiend."

The silhouette turned into a bird-like creature.

Tidus got up and walked to the mural of Shiva against the wall.

"What happened to him?"

"He was eventually killed and sent to the Farplane, where his form became nothing but pure hatred. He lingered there, wanting nothing but to be reunited with the one he'd lost for many, many years. Until…"

Tidus traced his fingers along the painting as he thought about what she'd told him. At first, it was strange to him that he didn't immediately think of Onryo as being nothing but insane for everything he'd done, but the more Tidus thought about it, the more he was feeling the smallest amount of sympathy for the spirit. Tidus wouldn't want to live with himself if he let Yuna go and give her life to bring Spira the Calm. He'd have done anything to keep her alive, and was more than relieved when she learned that the Final Summoning was a false tradition and made it her own decision to defeat Sin without the Final Aeon. This spirit didn't have a choice, nor did he have the knowledge of how terrible the tradition was. Tidus turned around and looked at the fayth.

"Was there ever a way to truly defeat Sin?"

"Your defeat of Yu Yevon."

"What? Then why did Sin come back? Was it the hole in the Farplane? Did… did someone beckon it back?"

"It was a multitude of reasons."

"What do you mean?"

The fayth traveled forward and disappeared through the exit of her chamber. Tidus followed and walked through Seymour's body and over to where the fayth was standing above the tall stairs.

"Take a look at these poor souls."

Tidus's eyes wandered around. The living relatives were still sobbing while sitting on the cold, hard floors and the spirits were still helplessly sitting beside them.

"Tell me, what do these people have in common with each other?"

"Uh… pyreflies?"

"Think harder."

"Sin?"

"Sin is a part of it."

Tidus scratched the back of his head. "I don't… know."

"Memories."

"Oh…"

The fayth's voice carried throughout the entire temple.

"Everyone that has been involved with the Beckoning did so because they were clutching all the moments, all the memories, they had with each other. Not only that, but they wished very badly for the fayth, and Yevon's religion, to return and the temples to be reestablished. But, what they hadn't realized, is that with the existence of the fayth, Yevon's religion, and yourself, also brings the existence of Sin. And so, their attachment to their memories of the past and things that once were had brought upon the resurrection of a powerful terror."

Tidus was about to argue that not everyone in Spira was clinging to something that once was, but he realized that it wasn't true at all. Yuna had gone on an entire adventure with the Gullwings because she wanted to be reunited with a lost love. Eiren claimed that everything he did was because he wanted to see Gaia, and even Tidus, himself, was a participant in this chain of events. He'd experienced a certain longing for things between him and Yuna to return to the way they once were during her pilgrimage, and he wanted to return to the time when he was as much of an expert at playing blitzball as he was in Zanarkand. It may not have seemed like much compared to the wishes of many beckoners, but it was still a desire to live in the past.

The fayth returned to her room and Tidus followed.

"I get what you're saying," he began. "We're all guilty of bringing Sin back, and we may be the reason Spira doesn't live in peace. My existence… it comes with a price, as does many deceased loved ones. I can accept that. What I can't accept is that Spira's future can only mean more of this!"

He gestured towards the outside of the chamber.

"We can't live in the past, because living in it just isn't living at all. We can't live our lives looking forward to nothing but the far future. I think it's time that we start living in the now. I think everyone in Spira should embrace the lives they've got in this present day and find a new happiness! Instead of trying to find it in the past."

The fayth's eyes lightened when he spoke.

"But… I can't help them do that if I stay here. I have to go back to Spira. I have to save Yuna and help her fix the mess that's happening right now."

The fayth smiled and waved her arms around. Strong winds gathered from every corner of the chamber and were powerful enough to send Tidus to the ground. They gathered into a circle within the fayth's hands and came to an abrupt stop.

"Take this." She told him. He pulled himself off the floor and carefully took the ball.

"What is it?"

"The winds of the Farplane. Let them guide you back into the real world. Those that have a strong will shall find exactly where it is they wish to go. Those without will find themselves lost in a place where they had no intention of going."

"You're not coming back?"

"We are too weak to leave the Farplane, and while we remain here, our energy protects the temples in the real world. They have become safe havens for the living and we intend to keep it that way."

"How do I stop that bird?"

A glowing aura was forming around the fayth. "Look for the heart of broken memories. Yuna must see you, and once she does, Onryo's hold on her will falter. She may have a strong will, but the fact that she was torn between keeping you safe and Spira's security weakened her mind."

A bright light forced him to squint his eyes and once it stopped, he could see Shiva right in front of him. Tears flew down her cheeks.

"You must hurry! We are losing more of our strength as that horrible creation lingers."

Tidus nodded. "I won't let you down…"

Tidus held the Farplane winds right in front of him as he exited the temple. The spirits all looked at him as he left. They made it seem as though he was the Chosen One, or someone of great importance. The fayth did turn to him for his help, and he nodded to them as to tell them that he and his friends would restore the balance in Spira and save everyone.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Auron asked.

"More than that," Tidus replied. "I've gotta go back, and you should too."

"Why would I do such a thing?"

"Don't you want to see Chuami?"

"I can't."

"Why can't you?"

"As I told you many times before, dwelling in the past is futile."

"This isn't 'dwelling in the past', Auron. This is your daughter. This is someone you never got to see grow up, and someone you never got to share your legacy with. Don't you want a chance to do that before you can't?"

Auron thought about his statement for a second, but Tidus was too impatient for that.

"Too late!" he said and he let go of the Farplane winds and they enveloped the two in a swarm of bright lights and strange physical feelings as they carried the heroes back to the real world.


	23. Sins of the Fathers

**Sins of the Fathers**

Silence prevailed through the air. The lightning ceased and the crew could no longer hear the pattering of raindrops hitting against the roof of the Inn. Rikku was huddled, watching the opaque mist slowly inch its way towards the Inn. She shivered against the chilling draft that swept upon her shoulders, and tried to rid herself of the awful thoughts about Yuna being held captive. Instead, she reminded herself of a time when the world was still at peace under the events of the Eternal Calm. She and her fellow Gullwings trespassed the Calm Lands, chasing after frisky chocobos, racing against each other with the hovercraft vehicles. Though these memories were clear in her head, finding a time when the world wasn't plagued with grief, sadness and Sin was difficult. Sin lived in almost every memory she had, whether it was hearing about it from somebody else, or watching Sin take many lives away. A heavy sigh left her mouth.

 _This can't be Spira's destiny… can it?_

To ask why the world couldn't have just remained in its peaceful state with the Eternal Calm would've been a rhetorical question, to a follower of Yevon, or one that knew the mysteries behind the Beckoning and the consequences of bringing it. For Rikku, however, the thing she reminded herself of was that her father had always been right about leaving the dead behind, no matter how much one's heart pined for them. She couldn't say she hadn't been to the Farplane every now and then, listening to the hums of the pyreflies and conjuring the memories of her deceased mother and her beloved friend, Keyakku. She often did it as a means of clearing her head, as trying to do so with her living family members was a very difficult task. But never in a thousand years could Rikku have guessed something so horrifying and treacherous could come of it.

Right beside her trembling body, Lulu was pacing. Back and forth, with nerves rising. She blamed herself pointlessly for letting Wakka out of her sight into the deadly mist without any help. Pacing wasn't something she did regularly, nor was dwelling on past regrets and mistakes, but she opened the floodgates with one feeling of guilt, though she wasn't being vocal about it.

"He's still out there…"

She didn't realize that she said it out loud until Rikku turned her head and asked, "Who?"

The pacing stopped. "Sorry… I was just…"

Rikku scooted herself to make room and Lulu sat next to her, folding her hands across her lap. As far back as when she first took the responsibility of a guardian, Lulu had always known where to go, what to say, what to be focused on, but in the rare cases when she didn't have this knowledge, she would douse herself in her own insecurities. It wouldn't last long, because no matter how little she knew about the future, spending too long on what she could've done better was a trap. A trap that lead to self-loathing, and no closer to any solution.

"I hope… Yunie's okay…" Rikku said, finally breaking the silence.

"She will be," Lulu responded.

"How do you know?"

It wasn't a satisfying answer, but the words that came out of Lulu's mouth were, "I just do."

"Okay…"

The older woman could've said anything more reassuring, but she really felt as though she'd hit rock bottom with any feelings of optimism. In fact, Lulu wished that somebody else would give _her_ some comfort.

"I… hope my dad's okay, too," Rikku finally said. "And Brother, and Shinra, and… well…"

"They are intelligent and resourceful, Rikku," Lulu responded. "I am confident in their capabilities like I am in yours. Regardless of what's to come, we'll finish what has begun, and restore the peace."

Her words were met with a tone of slight doubt and a hint of fatigue, as if she'd said something similar in the past and wanted this to be the last time she would ever say it again. Rikku understood completely. She thought Lulu wasn't supposed to be here, risking her life and her health for a terror that should be no more. She belonged back on Besaid, settled with her family, taking care of the humble village alongside Wakka. Yuna should've been there, too, with the man she loved. And Rikku, well, she didn't know where exactly she belonged, but it definitely wasn't chasing down an ancient evil, and losing those she cared for. She thought about how envious she'd been of Yuna when she heard that Yuna decided to spend the rest of her time in Besaid for some much-deserved rest. Suddenly, Rikku felt guilty about lashing out at her cousin for wasting away. If she were honest with herself, Rikku would admit that she craved a life like that.

"How are you feeling?" Rikku heard Lulu ask.

"I'm… holding on," the young Al Bhed answered. "I mean… I guess I should be happy to be alive, right?"

"It's okay to feel… unhappy about things."

"But it's not really… how you say, progressive." Rikku crossed her legs. "I want to keep my head up, for everyone else's sake. I know that other people are relying on me."

"But it's okay to carve even a little bit of time to feel what you want to feel," Lulu sighed. "It's not ideal to keep everything locked away inside."

Rikku smiled half-heartedly. "Well… I guess I'm… afraid?"

"Of Sin?"

"Nah, I battled so many scary things. Sin's just another one of them."

"About the future?"

"Well… sort of… There was a time when I had some idea about what my future was going to be like. You know, have a home, a family, stuff like that."

Lulu turned her head towards the younger. "Well, then what are you afraid of most?"

Rikku took a second to think of a lie, but it wasn't something she was particularly good at.

"Well… it's kinda stupid, you know?" she began. "What I'm afraid of, I mean. I know there's so many more important things to think about, but… what I'm afraid of most, I think it's something I've always kinda… worried about ever since Yuna's pilgrimage." She tilted her head sideways. "My dad kept telling me 'you better keep a close eye on your cousin'! And he kept saying that over and over again, 'til Sin was dead, you know? Even then! He kept saying it! Like Sin was just gonna pop back up and…"

Rikku paused when she remembered who she was talking to. She cleared her throat and realized she was starting to sound more of her old, childlike self.

"Well, the thing is, I don't think he really thought I could be a successful guardian." She continued. "When I joined up with the Machine Faction, he decided he wanted to do the same. He said it was because he wanted to make money, rebuild Home, you know, those kinds of things. But, I can't help but feel like he did it because he thought I was going to screw up somehow. He's always micromanaging me. I love the guy, but sometimes, I can't stand being in the same room with him. He can say really cruel things to me, like how I could do this and that better, or like how I should be a certain way to meet his standards. I'm surprised I haven't gone down the path of my brother. He took _everything_ my dad said and just… did the exact opposite."

"So, you're afraid of disappointing your father?"

"I'm more afraid of other people seeing me the way he probably sees me. A screwup. Someone that can't be trusted with important things."

"I don't think that way of you," Lulu claimed. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have gotten very far during this whole journey. You saved them from when Sin attacked Bevelle. And now you're going to help us end this madness once and for all. Every one of us knows how much you've done."

"Yeah but… maybe I do wish my dad would see it that way, too."

Lulu scooted closer to the blonde. "But I'm sure he does worry about your safety and your health, as all parents are."

"Yeah… maybe…"

Lulu stretched her legs outward and breathed in the eerily calm exterior of the Inn. The air smelled of damp grass and soil. The calls of several different fiends could be heard from the distance. Rikku shifted as she felt the older woman stiffen up a bit.

"Hey, Lulu, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your biggest fear? I mean… if you have any."

"Of course I have fears," Lulu replied. "It's a part of human instinct."

"But you're so calm and collected even in the worst of times. I used to think only older people were capable of being like that."

"Quite the contrary. I have many fears, but I refuse to let them engulf me."

"What are they?"

"Well, for one thing, I worry about you. I know you've lost quite a bit in the fight against Sin, and your family is no better off. That can take a toll on one's mental health. I worry about my son. He's still so… fragile and delicate. I would do anything to prevent any harm from coming to him. I… shouldn't have left him."

Rikku noticed the change in tone of her voice and gently placed a hand on the mage's leg. Lulu straightened her back and continued on.

"I also worry a lot about Yuna, as I had been for many years."

"What about Wakka?"

Lulu rolled her eyes and a small laugh escaped her throat. "I _especially_ worry about Wakka. The level of stress I receive because of him is higher than I deemed possible for myself. I don't think a single thought could ever cross his thick head about how his impulsive decisions could effect those around him. I only wish he would be considerate about that for once."

Rikku giggled for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"And what, may I ask, is so funny about that?" Lulu couldn't help but feel a grin tug at the corners of her mouth at the fact that her worries about her lover were amusing to somebody else.

"It's just… the way you guys interact with each other. I don't know why, but I think it's pretty funny."

Lulu's grin fell back into a frown as she remembered that Wakka was still out there, and that hours had passed since he left.

The two sprang to their feet when they heard the sound of something splashing their way towards the Inn. Rikku readied her claws and Lulu was nearing a vicious spell, but the figure became more clear.

"Wakka…" Lulu dropped her doll and went up to him and Rikku followed. He was stiff, his brows furrowed and his eyes pained.

"Are you okay?" Rikku asked.

"Yeah…" he seemed to be in a daze. "I'm… fine…"

"You're hurt…" Lulu breathed, staring at his blood-streaked arm. She took his hand into her own and studied the injury. Wakka turned his head and gently pulled his hand away from her and let it drop to his side.

"Just a scratch. No big deal, ya?"

Lulu sighed heavily, then took his hand again. "Come with me."

Rikku stayed in the lobby as she watched over the entrance. The time was currently twelve o'clock in the morning and everyone in the Inn besides the prisoner was restless. Kurgum was still shaking and completely speechless after the incident in Bevelle, Chuami was trying to remain as stoic and possibly, though a mixture of feelings swarmed in her heart. Rikku, who'd already experienced her own fair share of terrifying encounters, remained in the lobby, her head nodding off.

Lulu took Wakka to a room towards the far back of the Inn and had a small bowl of warm water with a washcloth. She wrung out the washcloth and brought it over to him as he was seated in one of the chairs beside an open window. He flinched a bit when she brought the warm cloth upon his wound. The wounds weren't very deep, but they hurt badly. After she cleaned it, she casted a healing spell on him and it only took a few seconds before the pain subdued and the open cuts closed.

"Thanks…" Wakka mumbled.

Lulu crossed her arms, angry with herself that she allowed him to walk out the door, but also extremely relieved nothing worse had happened to him.

"You need to be more careful," she scolded. "We can't have any more accidents like this happening to you. I've told you this once before, and I know you're more aware about what could happen to you than this."

Normally, he would've protested, saying that he was being careful, and how he'd managed to stave off lots of fiends before receiving one single wound, but he was silent. He lowered his gaze to stare at the lantern in the corner that emitted a warm light. Lulu let her arms fall and her expression softened.

"Are… you alright?"

He breathed in and stood from the chair. He made his way over to the open window, resting his hand upon the windowsill as he scowled at the surroundings outside.

"You were right, you know." he finally said.

His words made her head perk upwards. "About…?"

"Leavin' things the way they're supposed to be."

Lulu's mouth was open and she shook her head slightly. "I… don't understand…"

He was trying to not allow the emotions that built up inside of him to explode, but he wasn't emotionally structured the way Lulu was. He turned around swiftly and it made her jump. He clenched his fists and for a second, his mouth moved without any words. Then, everything came out.

"I was completely stupid to think that I could be with my mom, and then find my dad and… be together, ya? I just thought everything was gonna be fine and then we can go back to Besaid and… I don't know, just be a happy family…" he slumped down on the chair and rested his elbows on his thighs. "Even though at the back of my head, I knew it wasn't gonna be like that… just like you told me, she's gotta go like every other unsent. And… my dad probably didn't wanna see me if he didn't come back to look for me and… Chappu. But… it wasn't just about meeting my dad, ya? Like… I remember you told me you didn't want me looking after Vidina. All my bad habits would ruin him, or make him… I don't know, not the person we want him to be when he grows up. I thought…"

By this time, Lulu kept her eyes fixated on him, her mouth slightly open. He wasn't even aware of the volume of his voice until he calmed himself down. He was panting slightly, his hands gripping his hair. Trying to suppress his emotions to where he could rationally discuss them was easier said than done. Lulu always reprimanded him for running his mouth without thinking first. However, this situation wasn't like any other. She was listening with an open heart and an open mind. If anything, she was feeling sympathetic.

"You thought…?"

He hung his head, plopping back on the chair. "I never got to grow up with a dad, Lu. I don't know anything about anything, and… I don't know, I thought maybe seeing my dad… talking with him, would give me some idea, or some way to be better. And I thought that bringing my mom and dad together, with me and you and Vidina, we'd just be one big happy family before my mom had to… well, you know."

She walked over and sat on her knees beside him.

"But… it was selfish of me, ya? I mean, you were right, you guys _are_ my family. You and Yuna, and Vidina, you guys were always my family. I should just focus on keeping you all safe, and leaving things the way they are. I think… I think I'm just adding fuel to the fire on this whole Sin thing, and this whole Beckoning thing, by trying to find the past. I think I should just… let her go. Let them both go, and… embrace what I already got."

The miserable look returned to his face, amplified by the sorrow in his heart. This was exactly what Lulu wanted to avoid since Wakka first said he wanted to find his father. Him coming to terms that the fantasy of his big happy family was nothing but that, and his mother would have to be sent to the other side. She knew it would either break him, or cause him to do something unwise. He'd already done one of those two.

"I… understand," she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "But… if you remember… before, I told you I had faith in you. Regardless of the things I've told you, I believed in your abilities. I entrusted you with Yuna, and-"

"And look where she ended up!" He stood back up and started pacing around.

"That wasn't your fault," she said. "Don't spend any more time thinking that way."

"What about Chappu?"

She lowered her gaze and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the sudden draft coming through the window.

"I… wish you didn't have to see me do that…" Wakka said.

"He wasn't your brother," she felt goosebumps form over her skin. "Not anymore. He became an inhuman creature, and you were right to end his suffering."

He noticed her position and he walked over to where a small blanket was draped across a lounge chair and wrapped it around her shaking body.

"But… I couldn't keep him safe, you know? I couldn't stop him from turning into… _that_. And I couldn't protect Yuna, I couldn't protect Gaia. What if I can't protect you, or Vidina? What then?"

"Wakka, you don't have to worry about me. The last time I checked, I was still here, still breathing, and now… well, I am warmer. Yuna is still alive, Besaid is safe and Vidina is okay as long as we destroy this threat once and for all. Gaia and Chappu… there was nothing else you could've done. Their fate was already determined, and they were only following it. "

"Yeah, but…"

He had to admit, this was the first time in a long time that she'd comforted him, especially after he disappeared into the night without a backup plan against her words. Internal conflicts weren't easy for either of them, and as Wakka mentioned to Gaia, it was better to forget about them and turn to moments of intimacy.

"Listen, I have something to say as well," Lulu cleared her throat and sat back down further away from the window. "There was a time when I, too, couldn't protect the people I cared for. I'm still struggling to appreciate the person I am, and instead think about who I should be."

He looked at her with surprised eyes.

"You didn't think you were the only one, did you?" she asked.

"But… you're always so sure of yourself, ya? You're sure about what's best for Vidina, and-"

"I didn't grow up with parents, either, and there are times when I worry about what Vidina will think of me in the future. But… you and I, we're doing the best we can. We'll make mistakes, and we'll learn from them. There's no need to worry about that."

"But… I want to be something better, so _you_ can trust me."

Lulu bit her lip, unsure of what to say next. She hated apologizing for when she said something insensitive, or something critical of others and hurt them in the process. Whenever she scolded Yuna, she spent quite a while feeling insecure about how her words effected the younger. She thought the same thing of Wakka, but only sometimes, because his cluelessness caused her to be cruelly honest more often than she would've liked.

"I understand how you feel," she reassured him. "But, I'll reiterate the fact that I believe in you."

Wakka was feeling something different about her. That she was much less scathing and more compassionate. He figured she was being less like herself because she was feeling vulnerable to the terrifying world outside, or maybe she was pitying him. He was about to tell her more about what he wanted to fix, but she caught him off guard when she wrapped her arms around him. That settled it. He wanted to allow his confessions to resume for another day, when the world wasn't at stake. For right now, he wanted to cherish this moment between them, and enveloped her in a tight hug.

The wonderful feelings that bloomed between the two faded away when they came out of the room and Wakka caught sight of the prisoner in the corner.

"What in Yevon's name is this slimy snake doing here?!" he yelled. Before Wakka could even think about laying a hand on the man, Rikku jumped in front of him.

"It's okay, he's not a crazy, all-powerful monster!" she yelled. "He's just a typical cranky old man with a sad heart."

"This cranky old man still has his hearing." Eiren said.

"What?" Rikku shrugged. "It's true."

"Yeah, well I don't think it is," Wakka said. "You guys saw the things he can do! Make monsters out of thin air, and recreate scary versions of aeons! And now you're gonna believe him when he says he's just 'some guy'?"

"Believe me, if I could eradicate your crew, I would've done it by now." Eiren said.

"Yeah? Well you're probably planning on killing us when we're asleep!"

"I'm not," Eiren said. "It's not you I was looking for. I was merely following my daughter, Gaia, to safety, and she just happened to be with you all."

"Your daughter?" Wakka said, his eyes opening wide. "You're lying…"

Wakka recognized those eyes when Eiren stared angrily at him. They were the sharp, dark brown colors that Gaia inherited, which carried on to be a trait of her offspring. Eiren was being sincere, much to Wakka's dismay. He threw his hands up in the air.

"I ain't buying this!" He yelled, storming out of the room.

Eventually, thanks to the pleading of the others, Wakka begrudgingly came out of the room he was housed in and stood before the bound man, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You got a lot of nerve showing up here…" he mumbled. "'Specially after that stunt you pulled."

"That wasn't my doing." Eiren protested. "I did what I did because I was promised a reunion with someone I lost."

"A lot of people wanted to see people they lost, too," Wakka said. "Look where that got 'em."

It was quiet until Wakka decided to ask, "What's your deal with her?"

"What do you mean?"

"You saw the look on her face when she came face to face with you," Wakka said, sitting down. "I only see that kind of look when somebody's got something against another. So what was it?"

"I'm afraid that's none of your business."

"Actually it is," Wakka said. "And since I'm seeing that you can't go anywhere, and you ain't gonna last long enough out there without us, you might as well spit it out."

Eiren was puzzled by the first statement Wakka gave him. Now _he_ was curious to know what his daughter's involvement with this furious redheaded man was.

"Well, in the time when Sin was a major threat, I was doing everything I can to keep her safe. Her mother was taken by Sin when she was a small child, and I couldn't bear the thought of the same fate befalling upon her. The trouble started when she wished to play for the Goers at a young age. I reminded her that if that were a reality, then she would most definitely encounter Sin, being in a crowded, overpopulated city such as that one. I told her she was no match for those mighty players."

"Hmm."

"When she learned of her mother's death, she swore vengeance upon that monster. She wanted to be a Crusader, to fight Sin, to protect the remaining family we had, and learned the art of wielding a bow and arrow in preparation for it. I refused to let her, and I went as far as discouraging her by saying that being a Crusader was a 'man's job'."

"Seriously?"

In all of Wakka's life, women were well-respected as Crusaders, guardians, summoners, and blitzball players just as men were. There was no dividing line between either gender.

"Can you blame me?" Eiren said. "She was a wild child, completely restless. We resided in the quaint island of Kilika for as long as I could remember. Things were much different when I was growing up, and I was only repeating the knowledge I had from then."

"Uh-huh."

"One day, Sin decided to pay us a visit. I remember that day more clear than any other day. Gaia… she had to watch all those people fall prey to the leviathan. The next day, she marched right up to me and told me she was going to be a summoner. She wanted to be the one that would bring the much-awaited Calm, and peace to Spira."

Wakka leaned back and his gaze softened.

"I may have been a faithful follower of Yevon, but I was never going to let my daughter willingly throw herself to Sin, no matter how much it broke me when her mother passed. My daughter was the only family I had left, and… I couldn't let her become another one of Yevon's tools. I told her that she was never going to leave Kilika, and she wouldn't survive long enough out there to even face Sin."

"Damn…"

Eiren gave him a glare. "If you're going to judge me, I'd appreciate it if you do it silently."

"I get why you did it, but… that's… that's enough to mess anyone up, you know? I mean, you were her only family, and I think it would've been better if you gave her some words of support, ya?"

"What do you know about it?" Eiren snapped. "Have you ever had your family turn from everything you've done to keep them safe and throw their lives away like it was nothing?"

For a second, both men locked eyes together in a frustrated stare.

"Yeah, I have, and guess what? I treated him the same way. Always lecturing him about Yevon's teachings so that Sin doesn't come and destroy everything we got, keeping him from wanting to become a summoner, discouraging him from leaving Besaid, all that stuff."

Eiren opened his mouth to continue justifying his harsh behavior, but he chose to keep going with the story, wanting to get it off his chest before the pain built up again.

"Years later, she'd had enough of my overprotectiveness. We'd been growing further and further apart, not even able to speak a few words to each other without falling into an argument. She was ready to leave, and she took what little she had, stood at the door, and said she was departing for Luca and I wasn't going to stop her. By that time, she was grown, and made a remark about me having no reason to come looking for her as she was no longer under my care. Then… uh…"

"What?"

"I… told her… well… it wasn't my proudest moment."

Wakka held his hands up. "No judgement here."

Eiren hesitated, then winced as he thought of what he told Gaia. "I told her… 'if you walk out that door, don't you ever come back'."

"Wow…" Wakka sighed and hung his head, shaking it slightly. "That's… wow…"

"I know… you don't have to remind me."

Wakka was taking in Eiren's last words when it suddenly hit him. He was speaking to his grandfather. Someone that shared his bloodline, and someone Wakka might've shared similar qualities with. It made him angry and disappointed. He wished that he could've been left believing that his grandfather was an extraordinary man, like he believed his mother was.

When the story was finished, Wakka stood up, not wanting to hear any more of his mother.

"Better rest up. There's a big battle ahead of us."

"Wait, aren't you going to let me go? I can't sleep soundly with these binds."

"Hmm, I don't know if we can trust you yet." Wakka said. "Just lay on your side, it'll be more comfortable."

Eiren groaned, even though he knew he wasn't going to get away that easily.

Before Wakka stepped out into the hall, he paused for a second.

"Just one question."

"What is it?" Eiren's voice sounded irritable.

Wakka turned around. "Did Gaia ever mention to you about having kids?"

Eiren's eyes widened. "No… no, she never spoke of it. Why do you ask?"

"Just a thought."


	24. Reunited

**Reunited**

By the time the sun casted a glow upon the flat plains, Rikku decided it was time to head out. Everyone's eyes remained open that night despite all efforts to get any rest. Rikku looked in her satchel to count her items. One Phoenix Down, a handful of Hi-Potions, and a couple of raw ingredients to make partially useful things. She sighed heavily and picked up her claws. The others were sitting near the entrance as they kept a lookout for the two missing people. Neither Tidus nor Gaia were seen, and though nobody would mention it, none of the others believed they'd be seen again. When Rikku started towards the door, the rest of the crew raised a quizzical eyebrow at her.

"Well…" she began. "I guess we better get going."

They nodded and collected their things without a word. Eiren was still bound because the others didn't actually believe him when he said he no longer had his abilities. They dragged him along with Kurgum and Chuami keeping an eye on him. Without Tidus or Gaia, or anyone else that had been beyond the Farplane, navigating through the fog was much more difficult. Rikku tried remembering the amount of steps it would've taken from that Inn to get to the Monster Arena, but she didn't even know which direction was which anymore. She stopped the crowd and squinted her eyes.

"Rikku, do you know exactly where to go from here?" Lulu asked her.

Rikku was still trying to focus her vision, then she slowly shook her head. "No… not really… but I think I've been here enough times to know that it's _that_ way."

She gestured forward with uncertainty. They didn't have much of a choice at this point. Besides, Rikku thought it was a good opportunity to pickpocket her way through several fiend encounters. As they continued, a dark cloud was still looming above, but this time, it was shadowing one person. Chuami kept to herself as mixed feelings clouded her mind. They were mainly about a certain legendary guardian that passed over to the Farplane without a single word to her. She wondered if Tidus was there right now, having a conversation with the man in the red cloak. She wish it were her, though and hadn't stopped thinking about Auron since the Farplane went out of control. If everyone else was able to reunite with an illusion, or something greater, of their lost loved ones, why couldn't the same happen to her? Was it because her memories of him weren't clear enough? Or maybe he was refusing to show?

Chuami sighed heavily. _Maybe it's for the best. If I ever saw him… the first thing I'd ask is why he left us. Why he never came back…_

"How you holdin' up, kid?" Wakka asked her.

Chuami's head jerked up. "Me? Well… I'm a little shaken up… still. Also, this sword's way heavier than it looks."

She slung Brotherhood over her shoulder. The sword was almost as tall as her petite body and she assumed it weighed more than she did.

"You sure you can carry that?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's just… I don't usually handle swords and weapons, or anything like that."

"Gotcha. But you know, you're doing a pretty good job with it, ya?"

"I guess… if you count almost falling over every time I use it 'doing good'."

"It just takes some getting used to."

Chuami gave him a weak smile. "I sure hope this doesn't go on long enough for me to become an expert."

Wakka nodded, turning his head towards Kurgum. "What 'bout you?"

Kurgum jumped slightly. "W-well, I'm okay, Mr. Wakka."

"You sure? You haven't said a word since all those crazy things happened. And you're still shaking a little."

Kurgum didn't realize how silent he'd become until he heard the sound of his own voice. "I… I'm… I'm fine, but I can't help feeling a bit… off."

"Off?" Chuami asked.

"Yeah, like… I can't really explain this feeling, but it's not an 'everything's gonna be okay' feeling."

Chuami walked closer to him.

"I know we're in a tough situation, Kurgum, but everything _will_ turn out okay, eventually." She told him.

"Yeah, but…" Kurgum sighed. "I can't help but feel like I've failed. Like I should've been protecting Lady Yuna, but I didn't do my job right… and now she's…"

"Hey," Wakka cut in, stepping in front of the two teenagers. "We don't need that kind of talk. This thing… it's bigger than us. It's bigger than Sin. Don't go around blamin' yourself for what happened to Yuna. We're gonna get her, and she's gonna be perfectly fine, ya?"

Kurgum lowered his eyes to the ground. "Yes… right. Sorry."

It was miles of walking before Rikku stopped to confirm that they weren't going the right way. She looked down at the ground and saw the familiar sight of the "scars". The place where the final battle of Sin once took place.

"Wait… this isn't right," the young blonde said. "I was sure if we kept going straight, then we'd get there…"

"Maybe we steered in the wrong direction." Lulu said.

"Let's try going this way," Rikku pointed towards the left side.

The same result occurred, but Rikku was able to scavenge enough ingredients to create more potions. They reached a dead end of the trail against a large mountainside.

Rikku hung her head. "This feels like another maze, but there isn't even anything surrounding us! It's just flat plains…"

"Well…" Lulu turned to the others. "Any suggestions?"

Rikku opened her satchel and looked through her items again. She didn't have a sphere, she didn't have any helpful gems, nor did she have a map of the place. She cursed herself for not thinking ahead for this trip. She groaned in frustration and threw her hands up, plopping her rear on the ground.

"I have no idea where we're going!" she yelled, hearing her voice echo in the distance. Not even a second later, Chuami caught sight of what looked like a shadow in the fog.

"Hey, do you guys see that?" she asked the others.

Rikku hopped on her feet. "What?"

Chuami gestured to the figure a couple of feet away from them. It was a bit fuzzy, but it seemed to be moving. Rikku focused her vision on it and saw that it had a long neck. It's neck bent forward and back up again. Then it made a noise that sounded like a high-pitched chirp.

"It's a chocobo!" Rikku said. The creature took a couple of steps forward and Rikku started towards its path.

"Where are you going?" Lulu asked her.

"Come on, let's follow it!"

It seemed as if the chocobo knew it was being followed, and it also knew that the crew behind it was lost. It only took a couple of steps forward at a time and waited for the rest to catch up with it. Strangely, the chocobo didn't make any other sounds than that one chirp. Like a shadow passing through the night, it waded through the mist and was the only thing that could be seen despite the fog being thick enough to cover the next several feet ahead.

"Rikku," Lulu asked. "Why are we following that chocobo? Are we even sure if it is one?"

"It made a chocobo-y sound," Rikku said. "And it seems to be the right size to be a chocobo."

"But why are we following it?" Chuami reiterated.

"Well, do you guys remember Clasko?" Rikku asked.

"The Chocobo Knight?" Lulu said.

"Yeah, remember how he always said he had a dream to build a chocobo ranch and breed them for a living?"

The others remained silent. Apparently word of Clasko's dream didn't actually get around.

"Well…" Rikku continued. "When we were the Gullwings, we helped him out with that. We cleared out the Monster Arena for him and he started his own ranch there. Now he just breeds chocobos in peace. That one over there has to be one of his, and if it is, I think it probably knows where its home and its master are."

Her theory was correct as they made it to the entrance of the arena, but what was even more peculiar was the fact that the chocobo they were following somehow vanished into thin air. It was as if it didn't exist in the first place. The crowd was slightly unsettled, but there was no time to question it now. Rikku walked ahead of them.

"Wait," Chuami said. "Are you sure we should be entering someone else's property without caution?"

"Why not?" Rikku asked.

"Well, maybe Clasko might've set up an alarm system, or… I don't know, some traps for intruders."

Rikku waved her hand dismissively. "Relax. Clasko knows me well enough to-"

She was interrupted as a swarm of Cactuars suddenly arrived at the entrance. Right away, they had their heads pointed forward and their thorn-cannons ready to fire. Several of them towards the back of the crowd lept into the air and launched themselves at the crew.

"Get off me vile creatures!" Eiren yelled, unable to defend himself. The Cactuars seemed to like him the least.

"How'd these guys get here and multiply so fast?!" Rikku yelled.

The Cactuars' thorns stung badly and the green creatures kept attacking until the sound of someone's voice bounced off the walls.

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

Rikku would know that high-pitched male voice anywhere.

"Clasko! It's Rikku! These crazy things are attacking us!"

Clasko gestured to the Cactuars with his hands and that halted them. The crew was slowly plucking the needles out of their clothing when Clasko approached them. His hair was unruly, his clothing was tattered, and he looked as if he'd been awake for too long. Despite this, he gave his company a warm smile and laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry! I guess I'm the only one they can trust."

Rikku brushed herself off. "Where… where'd you get these guys? I thought this place was completely clear of monsters!"

"It was!" Clasko bent down to interact with the Cactuar that'd just appeared by his leg. Rikku winced upon seeing him pet its thorny body. "But well… a couple of them wandered in here several months ago, and I thought 'why not let them stay?'. And soon enough, they brought everyone in their whole entire family line here! It's gotten so crazy! But they've been really good company, and turns out, they're a really good security system!"

Several other Cactuars gathered around him and he started petting every single one. The crew exchanged looks and were starting to feel uncomfortable because Clasko was speaking words of endearment to them, and those words were similar to ones that a person would say to a puppy, or a parent would say to their infant child. Rikku cleared her throat and Clasko stood back up, his face slightly red with embarrassment.

"Sorry, now what brings you guys here today?"

"I'll just get to the point," Rikku said. "We need to borrow your CommSphere. It's an emergency."

"A life or death situation." Lulu said.

"What? Why What happened?" Clasko asked.

"Wish I could fill you in on the details, but we gotta hurry. We already took a very long time trying to find our way here." Rikku told him.

"Oh, um… well, I'd love to help, but…"

"But what?"

"Well, my CommSphere stopped working a long time ago… one of my chocobos must've stepped on it, or something…"

"Oh," Rikku said, trying to suppress her frustration. "Well, I can fix it for you."

"Are you sure? I don't have that many spare parts for it-"

"I'll manage," Rikku said.

He led them downwards to where the chocobo stables were located and most of his technology. The chocobos lifted their heads and chirped happily upon seeing their master. A few of them leapt into the air as far as they could and flapped their golden wings. Chuami felt a strange feeling tugging at her lips. A smile crept upon her face as she saw the elated creatures. She'd never seen such a happy chocobo, and after everything she'd witnessed, her heart lifted for once.

Clasko brought out the damaged CommSphere.

"See? I haven't been able to work on it because, well, I don't have the best mechanical skills. Plus I've been tending to my chocobos."

"What, this?" Rikku said. "That's nothing! Just give me some scrap metal and I'll fix this baby right up."

"Scrap metal?" Clasko said, and his body became tense when he saw Rikku's stern expression. "Oh, right! I uh... I think I have some right over here..."

He ran towards the back of the area where he kept most of his storage supplies. Rikku brought out her kit and began taking apart the device, muttering to herself of her frustration in Al Bhed.

While she was preoccupied, Chuami went to visit with the feathery creatures. Her smile was still plastered to her face as she thought of when she'd seen her first chocobo.

On that day, approximately thirteen years ago, her mother brought her on a trip to Bevelle, where the Chocobo Knights patrolled the area for fiends. A curious child, Chuami was fascinated by the creatures and walked up to one of the knights while her mother had her back turned. The chocobos were so tall that Chuami had to tilt her head very far back to look at them. She reached her little hands up to pet it but she stopped herself when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"They are wonderful creatures, aren't they?"

If Chuami recalled the event correctly, it was a man that had said it to her. The four-year-old jumped at the sound of his voice. She worried she might've been doing something wrong, but the way that the man chuckled at her reaction eased her.

"Yeah! They're so pretty!" she said to him.

The man stood beside her and admired the soft feathers of the beast. He offered his hands to the little girl and she came closer to him. He lifted her off the ground and brought her closer to the bird's head. She was timid at first, but when her palm made contact with its beak, her grin widened as the chocobo chirped happily.

"Aww, can we have one?" she asked the man. He laughed, more heartily this time, and lowered her back on her feet. He knelt down and looked into her eyes.

"Someday, maybe you shall have one. When the peace restores itself again, and Sin is no more."

Chuami pouted and lowered her gaze. "But... that won't happen! Sin's always around!"

The man chuckled again. "I promise you, it _will_ happen. Sin will be nothing but a memory."

Chuami brought her gaze up to the man's and she beamed. "You're right!"

He stood and held out his hand and she place her tiny palm in it.

"Tell me, Chuami, what is it you desire to be when you're older?"

Chuami thought for a second, pursing her lip outwards and rocking back and forth on her heels.

"I want... I want to be like you!"

That event happened so long ago that Chuami was almost completely convinced she'd dreamt it. She couldn't remember being so happy with the world around her, especially not with Sin still a common threat. After her mother died, she had no one else to turn to. Kurgum's family was generous enough to take her in, but all she could endure was anger and sorrow. It was something she'd never recovered from, and to this day, she still seethes with hatred knowing that this man, the one that should've stayed by her side through everything that'd happened, was bold enough to abandon her. She shook her head.

 _That's behind me now. Maybe... he had a good enough reason. Mom said she lost people to Sin, too. Maybe he... wanted to end that for her._

Despite telling herself this, the awful feeling stayed. She wasn't sure why she was thinking about all of this now and not years before. Her thoughts were interrupted by Kurgum's voice resonating throughout the hall.

"So... chocobos _and_ Cactuars? Are they your only company?"

Kurgum was worried Clasko would take the question as an insult, but the sender was legitimately curious.

"Yeah!" Clasko called from his storage room. "I mean, I know they're not actual people, but hey, they really don't bother me at all. I like not being judged."

He came back with some wire and a couple of pieces of metal.

"Were people judging you?" Rikku asked.

"No... but now I don't have to worry about it at all! And I'm my own boss! I was so sick of being underneath somebody and always being told what I should and shouldn't do. Now I make the rules!"

"But don't you miss being in Bevelle?" Rikku asked him.

Clasko frowned a bit. "Yeah, I do miss Lucil and... Elma, and some of my other friends, but... every now and then I get a call on the CommSphere from them! Well... at least until the thing stopped working..."

Rikku got to work on the CommSphere while Chuami approached Clasko.

"You know, I bet we could use a chocobo ranch in Bevelle. We expanded the city already, and we've got plenty of space for it."

Clasko gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, but... after being away from Bevelle for so long, I don't think I can handle it..."

"You've only been gone for... how long?" Chuami asked.

"A year, at the most."

"I bet you'd get even more business there. And the city's not so bad, once you get used to it. This is coming from somebody that used to live in Kilika and moved to Bevelle right on the spot."

Clasko didn't really want to leave the comfort of this arena, but the more he thought about it, the more he missed having interactions with other people. Not only that, but he also had a strong desire to be out in the sunlight doing more than just watching the chocobos graze.

"Yeah... I guess you're right! Well, once this craziness ends, I'll get right on that! I don't know about you guys, but I've been seeing some crazy stuff happen out there!"

"What kind of crazy things?" Lulu asked him.

Clasko's face became very dark and he sat himself down, running a hand through his ragged hair. "Well... yesterday, I... was taking a step outside for some air, the sky was... unusual. The air was super foggy, but not like any fog I've ever seen. Then... out of nowhere, I saw this _thing_."

Everyone looked at the breeder.

"It sped through the sky, faster than any airship, or animal. I don't think I've even seen _Sin_ travel that fast. I couldn't really make out what it was, but... it looked like..."

His voice trailed off. He shuddered at the thought.

"It was...?" Chuami asked.

"I... know it might sound crazy, but... I swear I thought I saw a giant... _bird_."

The others shared looks with each other.

"Did you see where this bird was going?" Lulu asked him.

Clasko shook his head. "Not really, I mean, I think it was going towards Mt. Gagazet. I literally blinked, and it was just _gone_."

Rikku stood up from her workplace once she was finished.

"Well... thanks for telling us. I think we know where to go from here..."

The breeder's head popped up. "Wait! Do you hear something?"

It sounded like the small cries of nearly a thousand fiends. Somebody's voice could also be heard struggling.

"My Cactuars! Somebody else is here!" Clasko yelled.

They all rushed towards the entrance and it only took no more than a couple of steps before the sound completely ceased.

"W-what?" Clasko said.

The others continued their way slowly, pointing their weapons towards the potential intruder, slightly unclear thanks to the creeping fog. Rikku held a grenade in her hand and signaled to the rest to hold for a second. She counted down from three seconds before all of them jumped forward to attack.

"AHH! DON'T KILL ME!"

It was that wonderful voice they all knew and loved. The blond blitzer, and legendary guardian, back in the flesh and looking as if he hadn't taken a single scratch since this whole ordeal began. They all lowered their weapons to the ground, astonished at the sight of the man. The Cactuars were circled around him, not making a single move.

All Tidus did at that point was scratch the back of his head and said, "Hiya."


	25. The Right Choice

**The Right Choice**

Circulation came back to his limbs, and he suffered a bit of intense discomfort as it happened. A heart was beating in his chest again, air was exiting and entering his lungs at a fast rate, and emotions were scattered throughout his brain. All the psychedelic colors around him and the feeling of being pulled by a strong, magnetic-like force gave Tidus the idea that he might've been going insane. He could hear things. People were talking in unintelligible conversations and events flashed before his eyes. When the winds transported him, he held a strong desire to reunite with his friends and save Spira. He wanted to hold Yuna in his arms again. He wanted to end this horrible fate of his father. Where did all of his wishes bring him? He wasn't sure, but when his feet made contact with the hard surface again, Tidus listened intently to the ambience of a dark and deserted cave. He looked from where he just came. Pyreflies sang around a large gaping hole in the ground. He ran his fingertips along his forearms, his chest, and his hair. Ironically, all of his human senses felt so alien after spending all the time before gradually having them taken away.

 _Are we real?_ He asked himself. _Are we… human?_

He didn't realize it at first, but nobody was around to answer his questions.

"Auron?" he called. He heard his voice bounce off the walls of the cave. Tidus walked forward, hoping that he wasn't the only one that made it back from the afterlife.

He couldn't fight the wave of monsters that approached him. He could only flee, something Auron often made comments about when Tidus was faced with a difficult situation. It could've been either about losing a blitzball game, or about his relationship with Jecht, or about the fact that his own father was Spira's suffering. It had been years since Tidus thought about the life lessons Auron showed him and how much he wanted to ignore them. On this day as he walked upon the precious surface of Spira once again, he dug through his brain to try and remember.

 _I can't even save Spira, or Yuna, without a weapon, or a clue. I don't know where to go from here, I don't know where I'm at. Hell, I don't even know what I am anymore…_

Tidus could see more of his way as he exited the cave, though he could no longer guide himself through the thick Farplane mist. He turned his head in different directions, careful not to expose himself by calling out Auron's name. He recognized the flat ground underneath his feet. He had visited this area on various occasions with Yuna and her Gullwing friends. That's when he came back to the overwhelming sense of guilt plaguing his heart.

 _Yuna… I get it now. As always, I don't understand until it's almost too late… Wherever you are, I'll find you and I'll put an end to this. For good this time. Even if that means…_

His thoughts were halted when he heard the sound of rustling in the patch of grass ahead of him. He reduced his steps to tiptoeing and carefully made his way forward. He thought he heard someone else's steps making their way towards him.

"Hey, it's you," the person said. Tidus recognized the voice and he walked to where he could hear it and Gaia's figure appeared clearly in view.

"Hey," Tidus said, scratching the back of his head.

"Where'd you come from?" she enquired.

"That… is a long story."

Gaia shifted uncomfortably on her feet, her arms hugging her body as if she was feeling cold. "I… heard there was a cave. A cave where someone stole a fayth and hid it there, but now it's just a giant hole? A hole to the Farplane?"

Tidus turned his head backwards. "Oh, that was _that_ cave. What about it?"

"I was just wondering if you could point me in that direction."

"Why?"

She averted her gaze. "I… wanna go back to where I belong."

"What? Why?" After spending some time in the afterlife, with delusional souls speaking amongst themselves and terrible enemies he'd encountered before, Tidus couldn't think of any reason why people would want to be there.

Gaia sighed. "Let's just say I've had a revelation. One that tells me I'm not particularly wanted anymore."

"But… I think you've been helping us a lot since the beginning…"

"There's someone that…" her voice trailed off for a second. "I want to protect."

"But you could protect lots of people if you stay and fight with us."

She glared at him. "Don't you get it? _We_ aren't supposed to be here. Bad things happen the longer we stick around. Bad things for us, and for them."

It took a minute for her words to penetrate and Tidus furrowed his brow as he tried to make sense of it all. Then it hit him. Transforming into a fiend when one still had a mild hint of self-control must have been painful, both emotionally and physically. He remembered what the fayth was telling him about the hybrid fiends. The pyreflies – _her_ pyreflies – were a punishment not completely intended for her.

"Besides…" she added. "Do you even know who was responsible for all of _this_?"

"That sender, I know, but that doesn't mean-"

She swiftly turned around. "It does!"

Tidus gaped at her.

"Sorry…" she said, ashamed of herself. "But… that man is my father. I was just an accessory to him. He started this entire horrific event just because he pretended to feel guilty about it. How exactly am I supposed to redeem that? How can I help fix this when my existence harbors all of it?"

"Hey, if I told you what _my_ old man was responsible for," Tidus began. "Then you'd probably think I might've lost it. But when I found out about it, I had those feelings, too. For a second. And guess what? All of this happened because of me, too. But I sure as hell am not gonna sit by and watch this world fall apart. I think you should remember that, too. If you wanna protect people, the best thing you can do is stay here, and fight off these monsters." Tidus took a couple of steps forward, adding one last comment. "And stop holding grudges. If you're still not gonna forget about whoever doing whatever, at least spare yourself from being angry all the time about it."

Gaia was about to begin the argument all over again, with questions about how Tidus would understand any aspect of what she had been through. But then she thought more about what he was saying. If his father had done something equally despicable, and Tidus was able to walk without being at war with his emotions because of it, then perhaps the same could be said of her.

"I gotta go find the others," Tidus said. "If your mind's made up about what you wanna do, then that's fine, but just… think about what I told you."

He walked off without any other word, and Gaia was frozen as she listened to the low growling of heinous creatures behind her.

And now Tidus was in front of his closest friends – practically family – and they stared in shock at him. Of course, Rikku was the one to break the ice and ran up to envelope him in a tight hug.

"You had us all worried!" she yelled into his ear. He returned the hug and felt the warmth in his body return while the others maintained their position. She pulled herself back and studied him. "Where've you been?"

"I was… beyond," Tidus said. "And I learned a lot from that place. So much so that I think I know how we can fix this."

"Great!" Rikku said. "Now if only I can get this stupid CommSphere piece of technology to work!"

Wakka came up in front of him. "Wait… you mean you actually went…?"

He didn't have to finish his sentence for Tidus to nod. "You can absorb a lot of knowledge from the other side, you know?"

Wakka put his hands on his hips and studied him. Tidus's body was completely free of all the burns, bruises, and scars and his skin and eyes regained their color. He looked healthy, and very much human and there was only one way Wakka could completely confirm that fact. He smacked the boy's forehead with his palm and Tidus stumbled backwards a bit. "Ow, why'd you do that?"

A grin spread across the redhead's face. "Sorry, just had to be sure."

The next one to question him was Lulu and she took a couple of steps forward to regard him. "You said there were things you learned. Would you enlighten us?"

Tidus scratched the back of his head, not knowing where to start. "You might wanna sit down for this…"

And so he laid out the entire story before them about the summoner that allowed his hatred to consume him, about the hidden piece of technology deep underneath St. Bevelle, about the unfortunate fate of the beckoned spirits, and the reason the break between the Farplane and Spira occurred. He didn't sound as if he was putting all of the responsibility on himself. Rather, he just stated the facts as they were. He was resurrected, and Spira experienced a period of unsents wandering the corporeal plane. That's all there was to it. As he explained, the others that knew Yuna best felt a pang of regret building in their hearts. Regret that they didn't put an end to this chain of events as it started. They knew something was off about Tidus's existence the minute he set foot on Besaid, though they didn't mention it. Honestly, they felt a series of conflicted emotions on which act was worse: putting an end to Tidus and Yuna's happiness to prevent this escapade, or making it seem as though nothing was peculiar about it. Of course, nobody could've predicted that Yuna's simple gesture of beckoning Tidus back was the harbinger of it all. They assumed the fayth harbored god-like powers, and could bend reality if they so wanted and Tidus just happened to become a result of it.

"So… how are we gonna save her?" Wakka asked.

"The fayth told me she just needs to see me," Tidus said, uncertain of himself. "Like, _actually_ see my face, and then she will be free."

"Just like that?" Rikku asked. "How do we even know that's gonna work?"

"Well… how do I explain this… uh… well when that thing was possessing that old crazy man," Tidus said. "He sort of… got distracted when Gaia shot one in him. Like he didn't wanna kill her. Or maybe he was just, I don't know, a little conflicted."

Lulu turned her head towards the older man, sulking in the corner. He hadn't said more than a few words to them.

"Two minds colliding?" she said. "One person's emotions overpowering the other?"

"But… I guess it has to be the person they love," Tidus said.

Lulu looked thoughtful. "Or… the person they brought here."

Tidus kept his eyes on the floor. "I… know about that, too."

Rikku took her eyes off her work station and looked at him. They all did. Tidus didn't want to think of what he was, or what he had become now. Something else was more important that he had to ask about.

"If the fayth knew about all of this… then why?" When nobody gave an answer, he sighed heavily. "Why didn't somebody somewhere warn Yuna about this?"

"Maybe… they felt guilty." Lulu said.

"Who, the fayth?" Tidus asked. "Guilty about what?"

He didn't need to ask. The image of Yuna's completely heartbroken face after he disappeared answered it for him. Tidus was about to say that it had been time for him to go. That he'd already had his story, and Yuna should've moved on from that, but he knew he was being completely hypocritical if he said that. Earlier, he mentioned the complete opposite. That if someone had the chance to be with the ones they loved and lost, then why wouldn't they? And to think that Tidus was there, in Spira after being in limbo for two years, because Yuna wanted to not only see him, but bring him into everyone else's lives, too. He held a special place in all of their hearts, even if he didn't realize it. Tidus's story had become something else than the heroic figure that sacrificed his entire existence for Spira's safety. He was an omen, as most unsent, or restless spirits were. Not only that, but his presence was more of an inconvenience to Yuna, than anything else. She felt the need to keep things from him. She couldn't even have a normal conversation without tensing up knowing that everything was only alright on the surface. All signs were pointing to the fact that he couldn't stay like this, despite his strong desire to do so. But as he rubbed his thumbs across his fingertips, and felt something different about himself.

"Maybe…" he said, aloud, but was interrupted by the loud static coming from the CommSphere.

"Got it!" Rikku exclaimed. The voices on the CommSphere were cutting in and out, and they could hear multiple ones talking over each other.

" _No… this isn't right…"_ a voice said.

"Hey!" Rikku said. "Can you guys hear me?"

"… _Rikku?_ "

"Yeah! Listen, we don't have a lotta time, we're over here in the Calm Lands! We need you to get over here and pick us up! Yuna's…!"

" _Rikku? Speak up! I can… hear…"_

"Hey! Hellooo? I said we're at the Calm Lands!"

" _Ri… you say you were… Lands?"_

"Yeah!"

" _How'd you get there?"_

"Doesn't matter, we need your help, quick! So get over here and help us out!"

" _Alright, already! We'll make our way over to… wait…"_

It was silent for a second with only the sound of the static. Then there was shouting and a loud, booming roar before the CommSphere went offline again. Rikku sat back on her knees and felt her stomach tighten.

"What… what was that?" she asked.

Lulu thought for a second. "That bird… where was it going?"

She looked over at Tidus. "What bird?" he said.

"I saw this huge bird, probably as big as Sin, fly across the sky," Clasko said. "I don't know where it was going, but it looked like it was headed for the mountain."

"Mount Gagazet?" Rikku said. "But… Kimahri and… the other Ronso. We should warn them."

"Wait… I don't understand," Tidus said. "A giant bird flying to Mt. Gagazet? Why would it go there? What does a 'Sin bird' have against the Ronso?"

"Nothing." A low voice said.

Tidus jumped and turned around when he heard the voice. "You! Where…? How…?"

Everyone turned to the shadowy figure that became clearer in the light of the burning candles. Chuami felt her heart race and sweat run down her forehead. Auron looked as he had during Yuna's pilgrimage. With his red cloak, his sunglasses hiding his expressions, his sword slung over his shoulder. Tidus often wondered if he had any emotions at all because he always remained as calm and stoic as usual no matter what situation occurred. But he knew that if Auron did have any sort of feeling, it was loyalty. Loyalty towards his close friend, and to Tidus. That, Tidus assumed, is why he was here. Tidus glanced over at Chuami, who averted her eyes to the floor. He couldn't imagine everything that was going through her mind.

"A-Auron!" Rikku said, leaping to her feet. "Where did you…?"

The warrior monk didn't answer her question as he believed it was irrelevant. "This flying monstrosity isn't what it seems."

"What, is it actually another Sin?" Tidus asked.

"Almost," Auron continued. "The only difference is that he isn't in control."

"What do you mean?" Rikku asked.

Auron adjusted his collar. "The summoner you were told about. He's using her powers." He slung his sword and planted it on the ground. It was then that his and Chuami's eyes met for a split second. He was taken by how much hers reminded him of someone else. However, he didn't want to be distracted at the moment. "He created an armor made of souls. Souls and hatred. His target doesn't reside in Gagazet."

"So… he's flying around… in Zanarkand?" Rikku asked. "But why…?"

Tidus thought back to his dream about the break in between the two Zanarkands. He saw people on either side of the border, both living and nonliving. Onryo threatened to continue the Beckoning, and if this armor he created was out of unsent souls, he could create an even bigger and more terrifying army out of those spirits crossing the barrier.

"He wanted to fight Sin…" Tidus mumbled out loud. "He wanted revenge for losing his guardian. The only person he wanted to save."

"So… _that's_ what he's been doing this whole time?" Chuami asked. "Gathering up this power to fight Sin?"

Auron nodded. "Jecht has been keeping it occupied." He said to Tidus.

"He… really is still…" Tidus begun. "So… this break in between worlds. When that fayth told me about it, I thought it was just a metaphor…"

"Nothing is metaphorical if it comes from the fayth," Auron said. "Yuna is at the heart of his creation. She is at the root of this armor. It's another form of summoning."

Tidus felt his fist clench, feeling the tension in his forearm as he angrily stared at the ground. He was exasperated, not only at this monster that'd brought this misery, but at himself for not realizing where his place actually was. If he wasn't caught up in believing this mirage that was his true existence, then perhaps he could've prevented this chain of events from spiraling out of control. Now, Yuna's power was being used to its full potential, and if this kind of summoning was even more intense than the Final Summoning, Tidus didn't want to think about what it was currently doing to her. He stood up, turned his head to the others. They all had different expressions, from major concern to being pensive, and then there was Chuami, who now had a part in this with her legendary guardian parent rising from the dead to help.

"Let's go get her," he said, turning towards the entrance. The others exchanged looks. "We're gonna tear that thing apart, every single piece of it, and make it suffer. We'll make that asshole pay for everything. We're gonna make him regret ever screwing with our world."

Venom leaked from his voice and his eyes were dark. His fists were clenched. Rikku stood up and made her way over to him and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Slow down there, tiger."

"Yeah, we should probably think this through first, ya?" Wakka said. "This thing's stronger and probably way bigger than Sin."

"It's most likely going to be more resilient." Lulu said to him.

"We should get to the ship first," Rikku told him as she felt his shoulders relax. "Then we should send out a signal to everyone about taking cover. We gotta come up with a plan to beat it."

Tidus crossed his arms bitterly. "What's the big deal? We didn't have that much of a hard time fighting Sin."

"Dude, where were you when we were wracking our brains trying to figure out Sin's weakness?" Wakka said.

"We didn't just attack it straight on," Lulu said. "We had to acquire knowledge, create a plan, and then attack one portion of Sin before our final battle."

"We're not gonna help Yuna out if we just attack it without thinking straight." Rikku told him.

"Alright, I get the idea." Tidus said.

Auron slung his sword over his shoulder. "Then it's settled. Let's go."

Everyone except Clasko was heading out of the cave, and Rikku hung back to bid farewell to the breeder. "You should think about going back to Bevelle and maybe start your own business there."

Clasko sighed. "I do miss the company, but… I don't know… I might have to think about it."

"Lucil and Elma miss you too," Rikku said. "They told us that everyone's so sharp and legitimately good at their job, that they've missed having someone around to slack off and mess up!"

"Thanks…" Clasko said.

"Oh… w-what I mean is… they miss seeing you," Rikku said. "And they want you around."

"I don't want to go back to being ordered around…"

"Then… be your own boss! You're doing a good job of it here."

Clasko looked as though he was considering it. "I guess… I'll think about it."

"Great! Thanks again for your help!" Rikku said, turning towards the exit. "And stay outta trouble!"

Tidus was still fuming, but he was keeping it inside as to not fall back into his old habits of childish outbursts. He was interrupted from his thoughts when a petite figure appeared in front of him.

"I believe this belongs to you," Chuami said, holding out the gleaming blue blade. Tidus looked at it and didn't realize how naked he felt without it until he held it in his hands again.

"Wait, but you need a weapon, too, right?" he asked her.

"Nah, I'm just the person that observes and reports."

Tidus put Brotherhood away. "Doesn't the kid of the legendary grumpy old Auron need a victorious weapon?"

Chuami crossed her arms. "I wish I would stop hearing that… it's really not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal? It's not that big of a deal to be the kid of a legend that killed Sin and saved Spira twice in a row?"

Chuami turned around and followed the crowd and Tidus walked beside her. He could see that both she and the red-cloaked guardian had this trait of avoiding certain questions in common. He noticed their nonverbal interaction and was irritated at Auron for being the silent stiff he was.

"He's not so bad, once you get to know him," Tidus said. "He's probably feeling as weird about this as you are. I mean, I don't think he came back just because he wanted to fight Sin again. "

Chuami gave him a funny look. "You sound like you had a talk with him. About me."

Tidus scratched the back of his head. "W-well… I did mention you when I ended up in that place."

She stopped him again and looked at him with shining eyes. She went from her typical intolerant expression to that of a young girl wanting to know about someone she idolized. Tidus sighed.

 _She was abandoned. And when he had a chance to see her again, he didn't take it._

Chuami's face was flustered as she was embarrassed by what she was about to ask. "What… did he say about me?"

Tidus became nervous. "Oh! Uh… w-well… he said that… he's proud of you. And who you've become."

He had a dead giveaway when he wasn't telling half the truth. He bit his lip and his eyes were wide and his legs were shaking slightly. Chuami's eyes lowered and she shook her head.

"Okay, I know _that_ was a lie." she said. Tidus wished Auron would quit the prideful stoic man attitude and speak with the daughter he left behind all these years already. He could see from the way she interacted with him that she wasn't what she made herself to be. She wasn't scathing, or condescending. At least not intentionally. It made Tidus feel even worse for her thinking that she only acted that way because she was trying to mimic the guardian. Or at least trying to create a version of what she believed he'd be like, as she'd never met him. He wondered what it was like to be in the shadow of a parent that accomplished many things and only receiving the acknowledgment of being that person's child. Then he remembered he didn't have to wonder. He'd already lived it before.

"But hey…" Chuami finally said, cutting him off from his muse. "Thanks for trying, anyways."


	26. Family Matters

**Family Matters**

 _We're going to find her_ , Tidus thought. _She's okay. She's gonna be okay._

That's what he kept repeating to himself numerous times inside his disorganized mind. The fact that Yuna was still breathing, and she would continue to be for when he eventually came to retrieve her. He was confident in that, as much as he was confident that they would find her and free her from the confines of this mad creation. Because ultimately, it would happen. They would find a way. During her legendary pilgrimage, there was a point in time when it seemed as though losing their beloved summoner was inevitable. That she was doomed to fall victim to the infamous traditions and call the Final Aeon. But she didn't. It was Tidus's objection and Yuna's will to take life into her own hands that stopped it. Against all odds, all obstacles, and all hopelessness, Yuna and the others managed to end the eternal suffering that Sin brought, even if it seemed as though it wasn't meant to be. If that could've happened, Tidus thought, then there was a way to bring back the Calm. This time, it would be permanent. They would destroy Sin, and they would keep doing so over and over again until it truly was no more than a memory. Even if it costed his existence once again.

He looked at his hand, whether it was out of habit or because he was legitimately trying to confirm that he was real this time, he didn't know. Frankly, he didn't want to. It was something he was never meant to figure out. That was why Yuna had changed. The real reason she had distanced herself from him, despite practically being inseparable from him the first couple of weeks he'd been back. It was the reason she kept everything from him, her jobs, her conversations, her life. It was all because one slip-up could've sent him back to the abyss of darkness, where all of the dead roamed.

Tidus couldn't make up his mind on what he actually felt about it. The Beckoning. Him rising from beyond back into a world where he was not meant to wander. The fact that Yuna was the one to make it happen. Did he feel angry about it? He wasn't sure. On one hand, he was ecstatic to see her and embrace her when he rose from the vast ocean waters on Besaid. His heart clenched as he reminisced in his final thoughts before he took a dive off _Fahrenheit_ into the sea of souls. That he wanted to see her again. He wanted to be with her once more, and that he would do everything in his power to ensure that they would find each other.

To contradict his own statement, however, he wasn't as happy to be back as he thought. His troubles ranged from his downgrade in blitzball skills to his somewhat tense relationship with Yuna. The pressure of keeping his state of being from him caused her to force a smile, engage in very simple talks, and pretend everything was perfectly fine. And that resulted in him doing the same, something he hadn't realized he was doing until now.

But none of those things compared to the peril and misfortune that his presence brought. Sin couldn't have existed in this world if he wasn't in it. He was linked to Sin. Completely bound for the rest of his days. He was as much of a harbinger of death as the monster itself.

He hung his head, feeling like a complete moron. Of course he couldn't have walked upon this world without a price. He kept asking himself how it was that he couldn't have pieced together the abnormality of his situation until the very last minute. That seemed to have been the case for most things that he was too oblivious to see. At the same time, he pondered why it mattered now. Why was it important for him to ask himself these questions? Whatever was meant to happen had already taken place, and now he needed to accept that fact. No more wondering about what he was. But he couldn't help himself. He kept turning back to it.

Looking for a distraction, he turned his head to Auron and Chuami. He'd tricked Auron into following him back to the real world. Not only because he felt it was necessary for Auron to reunite with his daughter, but because Auron was a man of infinite wisdom. If anyone knew how to bring them out of this horrific reality they lived in, it was the squinty-eyed warrior-monk.

Auron was keeping his distance from his daughter. He was leading everyone at the front, as he usually did, and Chuami was lagging behind in the back. Tidus could see that she was attempting to make eye contact. She was probably hoping Auron would do the same. But no. Auron kept his eyes forward. As always, he was too focused on the task at hand to realize the entire world around him. Frustrated, Tidus marched up to the red-cloaked man and whispered to him.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything to her?"

"No."

Tidus was tempted to stop the entire crew from walking, but he was trying to make his talk with Auron inconspicuous.

"I can't believe you, old man," he crossed his arms. "You have the opportunity of a lifetime, something that not many people have, and you're gonna waste it. You know how many people would've wanted to say something to a family member they lost? 'Course you do, you spent the past three years with 'em!"

"There's nothing left for me to say," Auron replied, not taking his eyes off the path ahead.

"'Nothing left'? What do you mean, 'nothing left to say'? Auron, you haven't said anything to her at all!"

Auron finally turned his head. "I don't know what you think you're trying to accomplish, but you should put an end to it right now. We're supposed to be focusing on putting an end to this. We need to rescue Yuna." Looking forward once again, he added, "It's nothing you have any right to meddle with, anyhow."

 _Typical Auron_ , Tidus thought. Perhaps he feared Chuami would reject him. That his daughter would confront him about his ten years worth of absence. Or it might've been that Auron was afraid of becoming emotional upon seeing his long lost child, most likely the only blood-related family member he had left. It was a worthless worry, in Tidus's mind. Even more worthless than dwelling in one's past mistakes. He hung his head and lowered his speed, enough that Chuami was walking beside him. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it," she said, her voice low. "But... it's kind of a lost cause now."

Tidus's head perked up. "How can trying to catch up with your dad after all this time be a lost cause? Why don't you go up and talk to him? Auron's a stiff, but once you get to know him, he's _almost_ okay."

"I'll believe that." her eyes lowered. "But... what I'm trying to get at is, I've spent a long time, practically my entire life, chasing after this guy. Ever since I was little, I wanted to be like him." A small laugh escaped her. "I even thought about being a guardian to Kurgum. That was, if he was ever capable of being a summoner in the first place. But, now seeing him in person, I think most of those wishes were just ways of getting the man to accept me, if he were here."

"You think he would accept you if you made these huge sacrifices for a stupid tradition?"

Chuami looked at him. "Gee, when you put it like that, it sounds lame. I wouldn't have known about Yevon. Nobody did, until you and Yuna enlightened that for us. As dumb as it may sound... yes, I do think he would've accepted me if that happened. The man clearly didn't think I was worthy enough to stay with me and my mom."

"Hey," Tidus stopped walking behind the rest. "Auron's a lot of things. He's a grouch, he's a crank, he's not all that great at being sympathetic. But one thing he isn't is an asshole that would abandon his kid because he didn't give a chocobo's behind about them."

"Yeah, you say that, but you're forgetting that he already did abandon me, and I don't know about you, but that's enough to make me lose faith that Auron ever cared about me in the first place."

"He had his reasons. I know he did."

Her eyes were keen. "You sound like you know about him more than I ever will."

Tidus didn't want to tell her that in the past decade that Auron had been away from his own family, he'd been taking care of one belonging to a close friend. Tidus and his mother were under his watch for a long time, and Auron had been beside the blonde boy as they watched his mother slowly deteriorate, both mentally and physically. It didn't seem right to tell her to not reprimand the man for his leave, because Tidus had been in Chuami's predicament once. When his father had disappeared many years ago, Tidus had loathed him more than he ever had before. Jecht had his reasons, too, for not being present in his son's and his wife's lives. But in Tidus's mind, he was possibly the cruelest man in the world. It would've made Tidus sound like a hypocrite to explain why Auron wasn't in the wrong.

Chuami was clearly waiting for an answer, but Tidus shifted his attention to the reasons Auron had for leaving her and her mother for Tidus and his. He never understood why Auron stuck around in this strange city that he had never lived in for so long. Not completely. When Tidus arrived in Spira, he received the information that Auron's task was to bring the boy to this foreign world, where he would end Jecht's suffering as well as Spira's. That much was clear to the blonde, but why Auron didn't make small trips from Zanarkand to Spira, however he was able to, to let his family know that he still held them in his thoughts was beyond Tidus.

He was about to make a statement, but Chuami swiftly turned her head to the group, where Rikku yelped in surprise.

"Watch out!" she said.

Tidus readied his sword and warned Chuami to stand by. This monstrosity had the same gruesome exterior as the others, but it was even more challenging because of its trusty companion. The beast was hideous, it was tall, and its eyes were gleaming with fire.

Yojimbo had never looked so terrifying.

Tidus didn't wait to Haste everyone. Immediately after, Yojimbo had laid the first blow, striking all of them enough to bring them to their knees. Tidus flinched and was held off on his attacks for a moment. He had to collect his strength again. This corrupted aeon may have been the strongest of them all. It didn't help that its ruthless Daigoro was knocking each member back every chance it got. Wakka and Rikku were both out, and as Tidus threw them the last of his potions, he didn't catch Daigoro's attack in time. He held his body up with his sword.

Chuami had made a grave mistake. She had approached the monster, stone in hand, and threw it directly at Yojimbo's face. It did stun the beast, for a second, and the others took the time to heal themselves. But now, Yojimbo was enraged.

"Chuami!" Auron yelled. "Stand back!"

Chuami took small steps backwards. Yojimbo took its katana, held it in place, and was about to deal the ultimate damage to the unarmed girl. Auron appeared directly in front of her, drawing his own weapon.

"I thought I told you to stand back!" he said to her.

This battle was interrupted by another fiend. However, this fiend was different. It was on the heroes' side. The human-like monster appeared out of nowhere from the mist and slashed at the aeon multiple times. Its claws were sharp, its head was canine, and its roars were ground-shaking. Yojimbo made an elongated mark on the surface of the fiend with its katana. The smaller monster didn't even cry in pain. It jumped upon the aeon's thick form and tore into it. Eventually, Yojimbo had fallen to the ground, its pyreflies leaving the world forever. Everyone came over to the exhausted fiend as it was heaving on its hands and knees. It had transformed back into its human form. Dark dreadlocks fell over a woman's face and she panted heavily.

They all knelt beside her.

"You okay?" Wakka asked her.

"Yeah..." she mumbled. Tidus examined her body. Her marks had disappeared. She was no longer scratched. It was almost as if her fiend half healed her.

"How did you do that?" Tidus said, though he said it so lightly that he wasn't sure anyone actually heard.

They all helped her up to her feet.

"Does that happen a lot?" Rikku asked.

Gaia shook her head.

"It... was risky... but I wanted to give it a try," she explained. "The whole time, I was trying to fight it. But then I just... let it happen." She brushed the dirt out of her hair. "I know, it was stupid of me... but... I thought we could make use of it..."

"No."

Everyone looked at Wakka.

"No?"

"It's too dangerous for you, ya?" He said. "Let's not let it happen again. Wouldn't want you getting hurt."

"But..." she started to argue, but didn't. She might have agreed with him.

The others continued forward but both Tidus and Wakka hung back and approached Gaia.

"So... guess you changed your mind then?" Tidus asked.

"Yeah... I did."

"Changed your mind?" Wakka asked. "'Bout what?"

She shifted her eyes to the ground. "Oh, it's nothing important."

Wakka crossed his arms. "You... wanna come with?"

She looked at him and grinned. "'Course! I wanna help you win this fight."

He smiled, for the second time Tidus had seen. "Alright, then."

It didn't take long for another large shadow to appear above their heads. Gaia was the only one that had reacted the way she did, taking a step back and readying her bow.

"What's up?" Tidus asked her, an eyebrow raised.

She looked at him funny. "Is it... not a fiend?"

Tidus laughed softly, which surprised him. "No!"

"That's our ride!" Rikku said, jumping up and waving her arms in the air.

Surely enough, the red-painted _Celsius_ appeared above the opaque clouds. The crowd hopped on without a second thought and Rikku cried out in sheer joy when she caught sight of the passengers. The three Council members, the missing summoners and their respected loved ones, Shinra, Brother, and Rikku's father. They had made it all in one piece.

"Well, if it isn't Cid's girl," Gippal said, a wide grin spread across his face.

Rikku laughed and put her hands on her hips. "Well, if it isn't Dippy Gippy!"

He pretended to be offended at her joke. Rikku didn't hesitate to throw her arms around his waist, a few tears falling down her face.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay!" She said. "I was so worried..."

"'Course we made it out!" a rough voice said. "Once these fools started listening to me, we escaped without a scratch!"

Rikku approached her father. "And I'm glad to see you got here without breaking a single one of your old bones! That's a record!"

Cid scoffed. "And it's nice to see that you're not destroying everything in your path!"

Rikku laughed and wiped the tears from her face. "Well, I appreciate your compliments, even if they do suck!"

Cid's demeanor changed. He was much more serious. So much so that Rikku's smile faltered.

"What is it?" She asked, softly.

Cid looked around him at each and everyone's faces. "You're all a bunch of good kids, you know that? You've done a lot for this forsaken world." He turned his head back to Rikku. "And well..."

He lowered his gaze. He looked uncomfortable. It couldn't have been easy for him to say what he wanted. All eyes were on him. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... E's bnuit uv oui."

Rikku smiled and laughed, some more of her tears trailing down her cheeks.

"I know you are, Pops!" She said. "Thanks..."

"Right, well," he straightened and cleared his throat. "Let's get this show on the road!"

As Rikku was happily conversing with her family and her Gullwing companions, Tidus took the time to feel content himself. Everyone, that he was convinced had met a terrible fate, was finally together. They were all here. Except one. Tidus's smile faded but he didn't give up hope. He never did.

He could overhear the conversation happening on the upper deck. The man whose hands were still bound was trying to make amends with the darker haired woman.

"How many times do I have to apologize for you to even look at me?" He said, his voice breaking slightly.

"For the sake of my own sanity," the woman replied. "I'll forgive you for what a deadbeat you are. But I don't have to forget."

The man had given up arguing and just left the room in complete defeat.

"You know, my dad wasn't really the fatherly type, either." Rikku said, in a slightly lower voice than both of them. "He always drove me nuts and he said a lot of hurtful things to me when I was growing up, but it was just his own way of saying he loves me! And he cares!" Tidus hopped up on the deck with them.

"Yeah, well at least your father didn't bring the end of the world." Gaia said.

Tidus stepped in. "No, uh... that would've been... _my_ dad."

Everyone looked at him.

Tidus cleared his throat. "The bringer of death? The monster that's been floating all around Spira, causing problems left and right? That's my old man. The thing we call Sin."

Gaia stared at him. "You've gotta be kidding..."

Tidus shook his head. "We had to put him down. The first time."

The darker haired woman's eyes lowered.

"Many of us encountered some form of negative interactions with our parents." Shinra said as he appeared beside Tidus. "Some have had more than others."

Tidus nodded and turned his head over to the doorway. Wakka was standing, looking like he had a multitude of things to say.

"Uh..." Rikku pulled Shinra aside. "Shinra, there's something really cool I found that I wanted to show you."

They exited the room and Tidus decided to leave the pair to discuss their important matters.

* * *

Lulu and Wakka exchanged a look. She nodded to him as she left the area. Gaia had walked across the room and stared at one of the windows at the passing clouds.

"I think I'm starting to get used to being at this unnatural height." she said. "Though... I still don't like it."

Wakka grinned at her. "Hey, we gotta get up high if we're gonna take down that beast, ya?"

She hung her head. "I guess so."

She sighed heavily, and there was a different tone when she did. It sounded sad, and Wakka understood why. He didn't want to think about how much it hurt to see her run off into a perilous, unknown environment. He considered chasing after her, but he knew he would have endangered himself in doing so. He was trying to be less reckless. More mindful of his surroundings, because a part of him knew at least one person would have been disappointed if he didn't.

"Still thinking 'bout your kid?" He asked her.

"Yeah..." she responded. "Haven't stopped. But I think my recent additions definitely put things into perspective."

"What things?"

She was silent for a second. "Like... I think I should stop running around this place looking for him. He's probably gone, too, and I just hadn't realized it."

Wakka felt something tighten inside of his chest. Everything he wanted to tell her. Everything he wanted her to know was right there. As was the opportunity to clear things up for her. Her mission, and the fact that she believed she couldn't complete it, was her form of torture and pain, and he thought about whether it was more cruel for him to keep that from her, or to bring it to her attention. If he finally told her, she would have been relieved, tearfully happy, and yet, more pain would come to her when she evidently had to depart for the Farplane. It would be harder to let her go, he thought, but it made him feel worse knowing that he could have helped lift that weight off her shoulders by telling her that her search for her son was over. He gathered his nerve, as he always did when he was faced with a challenge.

"What would he say if he saw me?" She continued. "I've been away for so long, I think... he might be afraid of me, instead. Especially now, with all these dead people running around. He might've told me to beat it once he saw my face. Or maybe he'd get angry, and tell me I went off somewhere without even bothering to let him know I was okay. There could be a lot of possibilities."

Wakka took a deep breath in. "He would've told you that he was happy to see you. That... he was more than glad you're okay, ya?" He scratched the back of his head. "He would... say that he's glad he got to see you. You know, before we all had to face Sin again."

She turned around and stared at him. "Huh...?"

"Listen... there's something I gotta tell you," he started. "Uh... how should I say this? You... remember when I told you that Chappu was someone I used to know?"

She nodded.

"Well... uh..." his voice trailed off. "He wasn't just one of my friends. He was... my little brother."

She stared, completely motionless. Her mouth was open, and her lower jaw moved, but no sound came out. For a second, Wakka was a bit worried about the tidal wave of emotions he set off in her mind. He bit his lip. Her wide, brown eyes lowered. She curled her fist, and hit him square in the chest, using a good portion of her strength. '

"Ow!" he yelled, rubbing the spot. It hurt worse than he expected. "What the hell was that for?"

"How could you play with my emotions like that?!" she demanded. "I spill my guts to you, about my whole history, my personal life, and my kid, and you just take it and throw it out the window like it was nothing! Your lies are completely and totally uncalled for! I thought we were friends..."

He was flabbergasted. "I'm dead serious! Chappu was the Crusader I told you about. He and I... we lost our parents on Besaid. And we stayed there together, 'til he left. He was... well, you know. That thing that I had to..."

Her eyes softened, and they were still enlarged. She was breathing slowly and she stared at the ground as she turned away from him. He almost wished he never said anything in the first place until she finally responded.

"I... I... I should've... seen this coming." she said, catching him off guard.

"W-what?"

Her reaction was completely unexpected, and the long while she took to answer was making him nervous. Although, the thing that she had said couldn't have meant anything bad. He wasn't sure.

"Well..." she said, sounded like she was holding a sob. "There was someone I shared my entire life with. Someone I shared my hopes and dreams with. He... gave me the courage to leave my nest. So that I could pursue my career, and... I could forget my miserable home life. He was someone I wanted to be with always. I loved him." She turned and Wakka could see a tiny tear flowing down her cheek. He could feel himself choking with feelings, but he remained composed and calm. "And... you are a splitting image of him. Everything about you. Your kindness, your thoughtfulness, your loyalty. Even your accent. That was all him."

He exhaled, and didn't realize he was actually holding his breath until he did.

"You know..." he began. "Since I was a kid, I... had this image of my parents. I always thought about it when things got pretty bad. In my head, my parents were good, strong people, and they did everything they could for their family. It helped me out through some tough times. And... well..." he scratched the back of his head. "I think I was right all along about you. You're a... uh... a real badass, you know? And I'm proud that we're family, ya?"

She laughed, softly, then her laugh deepened. It was genuine. It was happy. He was happy, and in that moment, he was grateful for everything in his entire life. His friends, his wife, his little boy, his mother. His throat swelled and for a second he felt as though he was about to cry as well. But regardless of whatever situation he came across, he wasn't one to shed any tears. At least not in front of others.

Gaia's tears fell faster but it didn't take away from her jovial laugh.

"I... I... I'm glad we met." She said. "I'm proud of you too, Wakka."

He pulled her in close and she held him tightly.

"Sorry I made you cry..." he muttered. She chuckled.

"It's okay..."

He noticed that Lulu was standing in the doorway. She was giving him one of her rare and unforced smiles.

* * *

There were many things Auron wanted to tell his family before his untimely death by Yunalesca's vile hand. The thing was, he _had_ seen them again. He had dragged his dying self back to their home, a solitary place kept a secret from the rest of the world, and he watched them through a glass pane. He couldn't have reunited with them. Not in his condition. Not after what he had done. He had allowed Braska to fall victim to the Final Summoning, and hadn't prevented the cycle from repeating, like he promised his family he would. He made a decision to remove his attachment to them, just as he had everything else in his life. There was no other choice. To maintain his self control, to prevent the unfortunate shift that came with every unsent, one had to sever each and every emotional bond. He didn't want them to see what had become of him.

He blamed Tidus for the fact that he was paying the price of it all. Chuami was only standing a few feet away, her eyes on the sky, but it felt as though she was standing an entire continent from him. And his words caught in his throat.

Tidus appeared at his side, much to Auron's annoyance.

"What are you standing around here for?" He asked, motioning towards the girl. "She's probably waiting for you to talk first."

"Stay out of it." Auron growled.

Tidus scoffed and put his hands on his hips. "Auron, I'm tired of you being your stickler, stick-in-the-mud self! You don't even wanna say 'hi' to your own kid, becuase you're a big, giant scaredy cat! You're afraid to reach out to her because you don't wanna admit that you messed up big time by not coming to see her when you had the chance."

Auron sighed. "I know."

"I know you like to think that you don't screw up as much as the average person, and you like to pretend you don't think about your regrets all that much, but listen here." He shook his finger at the older man. "If you don't march up to that girl and tell her you actually give a shoopuff manure about her right now, then _that_ is gonna be one mistake that haunts you for as long as you have all your marbles. You got one last chance to make everything right. Don't waste it."

Auron turned back to the girl. As much as he hated to admit it, the younger male was right. He truly had changed and become someone worth having around.

"A lecture?" Auron said.

"It's advice."

Auron sighed. "Fine."

Tidus blinked. "Yeah... yeah... right, well..." he walked away from the older man. "I'm gonna go over there and... think."

Auron had taken small steps over to the girl. She was trying to make herself seem invisible in this corner as she sulked to herself.

He stood by her, without a word. He had never been great at breaking the ice.

She was the one to speak first. "When I was four years old, I dreamt of a man." She began. "It was the same man my mother told stories about. A stern, yet good-hearted man, clad in a red cloak, weilding a sword as he trespassed through the streets of Bevelle. He was good at keeping trouble away. He could thin out enemy numbers easily. He was noble, determined, bold. He was everything I want to be someday. He was my father."

"Hmm..." was all Auron could say. He had faced many difficult trials in his lifetime, but all of those seemed like a breeze compared to what he was pushing himself to do right now.

"Do you know who that man was?" She asked, quietly.

"Yes."

She hesitated for her next question. "Was it... the man that is currently standing beside me?"

Now it was Auron's turn to be silent. "...yes."

She swiftly turned around, startling him slightly. "So... it _was_ you. I was right the whole time. During this whole trip, I thought I was completely and totally wrong. But now... I hear it from you."

"Yeah."

He swore he thought he saw fire in her eyes. Her brows were sharp and she clearly wasn't amused by the information.

"Then _why_?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why... did you leave?"

Auron turned his head away from to her.

"Answer me."

"I did what I had to."

"What you _had_ to?" her tone of voice became higher in pitch. "You _had_ a family to look after. You _had_ to protect us from Sin. My mother died a long time ago because someone wasn't there to make sure she got home safely!"

Auron lowered his gaze. "I know."

"You could've been there for us," she continued, in a strained voice. "You could've seen me get older, and... I wouldn't have had to live with my friend's family. My childhood would've been better." She stared at him. "Why did you follow Braska? And Jecht? And... why did you throw your life away like that? Why didn't you just stay with your own family, where you belonged? And why... why are you here, now? Please... help me understand! Why did all of this have to happen?!"

Auron was attempting to remain his usual stoic self, despite his strong desire to fall to his knees in defeat. Because everything that his daughter was telling him were all of the things he wished he could've changed, out of all of his life experiences. He had cast aside those thoughts for the sake of both pilgrimages, and now, for himself to be able to stay focused on this new mission. And now she was drawing it out from him. Like a magic spell absorbing energy. He inhaled the cold air, and gave her what she wanted. The answer.

"Because that was what she wanted."


	27. Angels of Death

**Angels of Death**

Chuami gaped at the red samurai. The man who emitted so little words from his mouth, yet every word he said spoke enormous volumes. He could have turned Yuna's pilgrimage the opposite direction, away from the Final Summoning. He could have caused conflict if he chose to repeat the truth about the Final Summoning before he let Yuna's crew decide for themselves. Auron knew this. And thus, he remained silent. He wanted things to unfold directly in front of him before he opened his mouth. If it were the opposite way, things could have been different. They could have been better, they could have been worse, but they would most definitely have been different. If this were any other case, besides unlaying the reason behind his absence to his daughter, then he would have held his tongue. He would have left the information for the birds.

But he didn't. He decided that he was done leaving people in the dark. Chuami's knowledge of why he chose the path he did was suddenly important to him. He wasn't sure what to feel after he said it.

Chuami's lower jaw was moving, but no sound could be heard. She blinked a few times and stared at him. She must have been thinking of plenty things. She might have been confused, angry, or as unsure about what she should feel as he was. Auron was starting to rethink his decision the longer she was unresponsive.

She paced from one corner of the room to the other, occasionally shooting a look with a mixture of astonishment and perplexity at the man. The man that she'd only heard of in stories told from the common folk, or her mother. Her mouth continued to move silently, as if she was forming arguments with herself over the truth.

"I..." She finally managed to say. "I don't know what to say..."

Auron inhaled. "You don't have to say anything." But he was more than aware that she clearly did. That had to be the reason she was here in the first place, risking her life on a dangerous mission with the only people who had ever been in contact with the legendary man.

She stared at the ground as she took a couple of steps forward, carefully, as if too many steps would shake the airship.

"You mean to tell me..." she breathed. "That my mother... your lover... told you to follow Braska? She wanted you to throw your life away for the sake of this pointless tradition?"

"That's correct." He responded without hesitation.

"That... doesn't make any sense..." she said. "Why wouldn't she have wanted you there... with us? With me?"

She looked at him with glassy eyes. She was holding back a few tears. The same look Yuna used to have occasionally. And just like Yuna, Chuami refused to let them fall.

Auron turned to gaze out the window, where the hours were turning the day to night.

"She had lost people, too," he continued. "People dear to her. Same as you. And I."

He thought of everyone he had tried to save before. Braska. Jecht. Himself. The things he didn't want to fall victim to weren't a tangible substance like Sin. To him, they were something even worse: his remorse. The fact that Chuami was right about his decision, how foolish it had been of him to think he could end Sin without ending his summoner. To think he could return safely to his family afterwards. It was practically a death sentence for any guardian, not just because of Sin.

"She wanted it to end," Auron continued. "The suffering, the cycle, the fear. She wanted a more carefree life for you. We both did. Braska and her were good friends, and she trusted me with his life. She believed that he could bring the Calm. Forever."

"And she sent you with him?" Chuami said. "Thinking you would come back?"

Auron sighed. "If all would have gone smoothly, then I would've been by her side again. I would have protected her from Bevelle. I would have kept her safe."

"But you didn't..." she replied.

His fist tightened. "Yes."

He saw her eyes flash with anger, something her mother had done before. "There's nothing I can't stand more than people who think they're helping their kids by martyring themselves. Yuna's father, those summoners, you. And for what? To prove a point? To send a message about it somehow being better than just sticking by your family's side through this whole shit show?" Auron looked into her eyes. "What kind of a message is that? What kind of a story are they all leaving their kids?"

He was considering defending himself, but he decided not to.

"You're right."

She seemed surprised by his response. "If it happened any other way... we would have all been together. Mom would have still been alive. And..." she lowered her gaze. "And..."

"The cycle would have went on." Auron finished for her.

Chuami did not make the argument that Sin was still here, and now its even worse doppelgänger was terrorizing more than just the living. Because even she knew that something far bigger than the endless spiral was occurring. Auron would not have been here if it were any other kind of situation.

And Auron took her words in, but he could not picture a happier life for his daughter and her mother if things were different. If he did not follow Braska, he would not have encouraged Yuna to continue on without a second look. He would not have fulfilled an old friend's promise and Tidus would not have ended his story the way he did. Sin would have casted its shadow. The way it had for one thousand years.

"You should know..." Auron said. "That I kept her safe from terrible dangers before... before you."

Her head perked up.

"Bevelle. They kept a bounty on her. She once belonged to a man of power. We were never supposed to happen, and neither were you. But it did, and I took her as far away from that place as I could, where she could safely have you."

Chuami didn't say a word at first.

"How... how did she die?"

Auron was silent, and his gloved hand reached up and removed his glasses, revealing the scar directly over his eye, and the pained look on his face. The dead were never truly gone from their living loved ones. Auron had walked the Farplane many times, and he could still hear the sound of her laughing. He listened to Yuna's speech, he heard Tidus boasting on Besaid Island. He wasn't completely gone because a portion of him craved that of which he did not have. A loving family, his good friends, the woman he loved. And he watched those he cared for have those features in life. At the same time, he watched them when they were in pain. He had almost felt Yuna's sadness when she lost Tidus. His nonliving heart snapped in two when he watched Chuami's mother die. By the hands of treacherous people. Like in old tales told from elderly people, some of the dead truly were watching over the living, sometimes when they were in their worse of shape.

"They found her..." he responded.

"Right..." Chuami nodded as if she'd already heard it. "I figured..."

Auron walked up to her and his eyes peered into hers without the ambiguity of his sunglasses. She was uncomfortable and refused to look at him.

"I'm sorry." he said.

And the girl who was the kind of person that never forgave, nor did she forget, was did not object. She did not accuse him of killing her mother. She did not remind him that things weren't any lighter than before. She gaped at him with wide eyes.

"I wish..." he continued in a quieter voice. "Things could have been..."

"Better." She finished for him.

He nodded, and Chuami stood in her position as he turned away and wandered off. She decided it was best to give him his space.

* * *

When the day reached its forty-eight hour mark, things were starting to heat up. Gippal, Rikku, and the rest of the Council were keeping themselves awake to keep a sharp eye out for the bird.

The rapid beeping from the radar shook everyone awake. Tidus had been beside them during that entire time and he lightly tapped Rikku's shoulder.

"Whaaa...?" she said, sleepily.

"Time to wake up." he said as he rubbed the tiredness from his eyes. He slept as little as possible and told his companions he would keep a lookout.

"What's going on?" Gippal asked as he stretched. Tidus squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the bright morning lights. There was a black spot in the sky. Two of them, looking as if they were clashing against each other.

"What are those?" Tidus asked.

Gippal ordered Brother to lower the airship. Tidus could see the ground more thoroughly now. A thick layer of pyreflies blanketed a sea of ancient ruins. Old, decrepit buildings, where debris was still falling, towers half-buried in the ground. A sight he hadn't seen in some time.

Zanarkand.

Sin was there, and the black bird. They were battling each other, one slamming their body against the other. Sin was enduring the hit, and parts of its body was lost in the fight. To repair its damaged limbs, it absorbed the pyreflies from the monsters down below. The fiends that roamed the area were plentiful. A mixture of hybrid fiends, and old foes from before.

Two leviathans. Two determinants of the world's fate. The span of people's life, the time it had taken for the Eternal Calm to take place.

Some could even regard them as gods.

But Tidus would not let their massive size or the amount of lives they had taken stop him from his determination. He never did. He knew the bird was holding Yuna. He knew that she was suffering, and he intended to tear that black bird apart until it was nothing at all.

"Yuna's in there." He said.

"That's no joke, is it?" Gippal said to him.

"No," Tidus turned over to Brother. "Think you could get us any closer?"

"I know what we need to do!" Brother said. He did what Tidus asked, however and steered the ship towards it.

Rikku jumped up. "Please tell me you have a plan before we dive right in there!"

"Yeah." Tidus replied and turned to her. "We're destroying it from the inside."

"You outta your mind?" Gippal said.

"It's not as crazy as it sounds," Tidus said. "We've done it before."

"Yeah, when we were fighting Sin!" Rikku protested. "And even then, we didn't think it was gonna work! That thing is ten times scarier and way stronger than anything we've ever fought!"

"Then we'll weaken the hell out of it first."

"This is crazy!" Rikku threw her arms up. "There's no way we can pull that off!"

Tidus put a hand on her shoulder. "We will figure out a way. We have to."

"How?" She bit her lip.

"We've done it before." He said. "And we'll keep doing it again."

Despite his resolve, he was unsure. Tidus believed they could launch many attacks against the Phoenix as it took, but considering that Sin was taking massive amounts of damage just from one hit, he was growing increasingly concerned. He did not have a plan, and he was running out of time to think of one by the second. What was it that they had done before? They had struck Sin's sides, its arms, its front, every bit of it was struck while at the same time it was being kept at a docile state with the Hymn. But that was all theoretical. And now, Tidus had no space for theorizing.

"So, cap'n, what are we gonna do?" Wakka asked him.

Tidus had taken a deep breath in. He could work under pressure. He had done it in the blitzball arena before.

"I'll… think of something…" he said.

"Well you better think fast, mister!" Rikku said.

What was Onryo's end goal? Tidus had to ask himself. It was going to swallow Sin's remains. It would become unstoppable.

"Take cover!" Gippal suddenly yelled.

The entire ship was pulled upwards and several people were knocked to the ground. Gippal and Brother were arguing in their native tongue about where to steer the ship safely. The bird had managed to hurl Sin's enormous body towards their ship and the captains managed to pull it away in time.

Tidus could see his father picking himself up from the ground and shaking the damage off as if it were a small scratch. Jecht always disregarded his injuries. Even when it became bad enough that he needed to see a doctor. Tidus always berated him for it. He could still feel his father's presence, and his pain. He could hear him groaning as he dusted off the dirt and debris.

 _Dad…_

"Grab your weapons." Tidus told the others. "We're going up."

"We're going to make ourselves an even bigger target?" Lulu said.

Tidus picked up Brotherhood and turned to her. "Yes."

"What?" Wakka said. "Why? Can't we just fire some canons 'til it gives out?"

"It's not enough," Tidus said. "We have to distract it from Sin. If we do that, then Sin can recharge its batteries, and then we'll _both_ be hitting it 'til it dies."

"I hate to say it," Rikku said. "But I think he might be right. We gotta weaken it 'til we can cut a hole right through its chest and get inside!"

Everyone shared a look with each other and nodded.

"We can help."

Tidus turned to face Dona, Isaaru, and Father Zuke.

"We may not be able to summon," Isaaru began.

"But we can do something." Zuke responded.

Tidus nodded to them.

"I'm strong!" Barthello said, flexing his muscles. "I can fight!"

"I can do something, too!" Maroda said beside his brother.

"Great, uh…" Tidus thought for less than a minute. "I think I got it! You guys." He pointed towards the summoners. "I don't know if this is gonna work, but it's something. Band together and form a Shell over this ship. Make a force field out of all your magic."

"Over the entire ship?" Dona asked.

"Yes." Tidus nodded.

She scoffed. "That's a bit beyond our abilities, even after being the summoners we used to be."

"Maybe not by yourselves," Tidus said. "But if you all join hands, and use all of your powers, it can work."

"It's unrealistic." Dona said.

Isaaru walked forward. "We have to try."

"We don't have much of a choice," Zuke told her. "We can't protect everyone on this ship any other way."

Dona eventually nodded. "Fine, but I have high doubts."

"That's okay," Tidus said. He turned to the two fighters. "Take care of any fiend that walks this way. They can multiply really fast."

Maroda nodded and Barthello followed him.

"What about me?" Chuami said behind him.

"I think Auron would prefer you stay here." Tidus said to her.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," he said. "These people will probably need your guidance, too."

Chuami didn't argue. It was much safer inside, anyways. Tidus looked at the rest of his team, who were well rested and fired up with mutual anger and willpower.

And they headed for the roof.

Tidus could hear Jecht's physical pain a bit louder now. He could practically feel it. Jecht was holding on to every bit of his health, but Tidus wasn't sure how much of it he had left. He could see the layer of magic that the summoners casted. It would at least keep the poor civilians protected. Tidus hadn't the slightest idea what kinds of tricks this monster had up its sleeve.

He gazed at his team. Auron, Lulu, Rikku, Wakka, Gaia. Almost every one of them had been here before. Once upon a time. Something brought them together; it brought Tidus here to this world in the first place. It seemed only when they were in danger did everyone come together and overcome their differences, their prejudice, and their hatred. When Home was destroyed, when Sin appeared atop of Bevelle and every individual sang the Hymn. It was peril that could have brought people together, and peril that could have caused the division in the first place.

The Phoenix had sensed them. It turned, its massive wings blowing a gust of wind their way.

 _"Guys, you read me?"_ Gippal said over the intercom.

"Loud and clear!" Rikku answered.

 _"Tell me when you want the cannons."_

 _"Oi!"_ Brother interrupted him. _"I'm the captain and_ I _say when we fire cannons!"_

The Phoenix had straightened its form and spread its wings out to reveal a chest with purple flames poking through its skin. Its breast expanded like it was taking a big breath in and the ship was pulled forward.

 _"What's going on up there?"_ Gippal asked.

"We're being pulled in!" Tidus said as he lost his balance. He pressed his knees and knuckles against the metal surface.

 _"I can't redirect the ship!"_ Gippal said. The force was like an enormous magnet and Gippal's efforts weren't enough to stop it. The Phoenix had drawn them in until they were an uncomfortably close length away from it. Its hideous screech shook the entire vehicle.

Tidus didn't wait. As usual in the beginning of a fight, he casted Haste on himself and the rest of his friends. But the Phoenix still had first move. It dropped a creature encrusted in crystals and with darkness clouding its mouth. Two of the heroes were focused on the fiend while the rest fire off into the bird's body. It lifted its head and roared at a less heinous pitch. Then it held off on its attack.

Tidus had combined a magic spell with his sword. With a mix of the Farplane wind, he swung his sword and cast his own force against the Phoenix. It flinched, but it was still gliding in midair.

They should have seen its Poison Breath coming. Evrae had already beaten this bird to it. The Phoenix opened its beak and sprayed a noxious fume from its mouth, and everyone was Blind and Silenced. Tidus was grateful he wasn't Confused. Rikku had healed them best as she could, but the Phoenix did it again. And again, and a third time until Rikku was starting to run out of resources.

Tidus could see a spot opening amidst the bird's forehead. A third eye. His normal instinct would have been to shield his eyes away from it. Any abnormal feature of a monster meant trouble, but his eyes widened and he was completely hypnotized. He walked closer to it, completely zombified. He wasn't the only one; the rest of the crew was doing the same. The Phoenix was leading them closer to the edge of the ship where they would fall to their death.

Only Auron wasn't taken under the Third Eye's power. It might have been because he decided to put back on his sunglasses beforehand. He could not reach the third eye from where he was standing. He pulled out the only potion he had, gave it to Gaia, and she readied her bow. She struck the monster straight in its Third Eye. It did not give out as soon as her arrow connected with it, however.

 _"I'm firing the cannons now!"_ Brother's voice called over the intercom.

The ship was pulled back and the cannons went off. The Phoenix endured all of them, and still hung in the air as strong as before.

"What does it take to kill this thing?!" Tidus said.

The bird threw them back with its wings several times, it kept hypnotizing them, and its scream stunned them. It was completely unbeatable. But all the moves and fiends that the monster threw onto the crew were all distractions. It had been charging its energy for its true move. The ultimate Overdrive. A Giga-Graviton, like its preceding menace. Powerful enough to move tectonic plates. It had stung tremendously when it hit. Tidus was trying to push against it with his hands but he only ended up causing himself more physical pain and his hands felt as though they were on fire. He looked at the others once the Giga-Graviton had struck. They were all knocked out, including Auron. Tidus was the only one left and he was barely sitting on his knees. Any more hits and he would have been done for. The Phoenix looked him straight in the eye.

He swore he could have heard a whisper, or a voice from that monster's beak. It sounded almost like a growl. Its eyes peered into him, cold and soulless. And it opened its beak just as Tidus tried to shield himself from the attack.

Sin had been fully recharged, and its timing couldn't have been more perfect. It rammed straight into the Phoenix's body. Sin released its own move, a Giga-Graviton of just as much strength.

Tidus had given the others what little of his potions that he had left.

"What… what happened?" Rikku said as she opened her heavy eyelids.

Tidus turned his head to the beasts fighting.

"We can't stop it…" he mumbled to himself. "What does it take…?"

He watched his father take more damage. Enough to shake the entire ground before them.

"Think…" he muttered. "Think… think…"

He had an idea once he witnessed Sin launch another Giga-Graviton.

 _"More missiles coming up!"_ Gippal's voice said over the intercom.

"Wait!" Tidus said as he stood up. "Hold on! Don't fire them off!"

 _"What?!"_ Brother's voice squeaked. _"Are you crazy?!"_

He kept his eye on Sin. "Just trust me."

During the pilgrimage, he heard Sin speaking to him. Not in actual words, but in feelings and emotions. He could see what his father saw, think what his father was thinking, and see visions about him in his youth. Jecht could hear what Tidus was thinking at times. Perhaps the communication worked both ways.

"What are you doing?!" Wakka asked. "We need those missiles! That thing's invincible!"

Tidus looked at him. "Just hold off on those Sinspawn while I do this."

They were skeptical, but they believed in him. And that was all he needed.

He concentrated. Turned off his mind for a bit while he focused all of his energy.

 _Dad?_

Sin paused. The others could see it. It stopped its fighting and through its thick layers, Jecht straightened and turned his head. Tidus saw his father's figure. Old wounds were reappearing on his skin.

 _Can you hear me?_

Jecht nodded without a sound.

 _Don't fire until I give you the signal._

There was another nod.

"What's going on?!" Rikku asked, frantically moving her body while she held her claws and grenades.

"I hope this works…" Tidus mumbled.

Sin faced the Phoenix, growling intensely, readying another Giga-Graviton while the bird was doing the same. The spell was visible at the corner of its mouth. The purple-black fire aligning its mouth and the way its beak was half-open. He could see its mouth opening wider. It was about to strike again. Sin was expanding its jaws. Its own spell was ready. Tidus had to focus again.

 _NOW! DO IT!_

The two monsters fired at the exact same second. And they stayed there with their spells locking them together. They didn't move a single inch, or a centimeter. They couldn't.

"Woah…" Rikku breathed. "How did you…?"

Her voice trailed off.

"They're locked in a stalemate," Lulu said as she walked forward. "Okay… what now?"

"We figure out a way inside." Tidus said. "Gippal, bring us closer."

 _"Got it."_

The ship was in between the leviathans and all five heroes attempted an attack on the bird's chest. It had taken a lot to get it open while they glanced nervously at the beam of magic holding the monsters. It did not weaken, nor did they shift from their positions.

"Wait!"

They all turned to see Shinra running towards them with some gear in his hands.

"Take these."

He handed each one, all unique to their preference, to them. A bracer, a bangle, a targe, an armguard, and the last one a ring.

"Wow, cool!" Rikku said.

"I think you might find these useful in there." Shinra said. "Give one to Yuna as soon as you find her."

"Did you charm them, or something?" Rikku asked him.

"You might say that," Shinra replied. "I think being in a place full of evil ghosts and vengeful spirits, it would help to have anti-possession armor on you."

Rikku was amazed. "How… did you manage that?"

Shinra always responded with the same sentence whenever someone shot him with a complex inquiry, but it was different this time.

"I told you guys, I know everything."

And with that, they traveled inside the monster without a second thought.

* * *

It was dark, cold, uninviting, and invoked a sense of fear in each one of them. There was an unsettling ambience with the sound similar to when Tidus was practicing underwater. He could hear everyone else commenting on how disgusting the figure was. How slippery the surface felt, how horrible the noise was, but he didn't have an explanation for why it all sounded so muffled. He thought his heart was beating fast enough to drown out the sound, the way the sphere pool did when he was keeping his attention on the opponent's goal. He felt even more lifeless than when he visited the Farplane. He couldn't feel the ground below his feet, he felt as though no air entering his nostrils, and he could not see a thing. He was beginning to mistake himself for one of the spirits.

He was internally glad Rikku decided to switch on a bright flashlight. It awoke some of the senses in him. He was glad he couldn't hear the pained voices the way he used to. It spiked the anxiety in him to think of the worse things he would have heard inside of this Phoenix.

"What's the plan?" Rikku asked as she shined her light towards them.

Tidus put his hands on his hips. "The Fayth said to look for the heart." He responded. "The heart of broken memories."

"So… what's that mean?" Wakka asked. "We go to the center and smash its heart?"

"Something like that," Tidus said. "She was being cryptic. I can't tell if she was speaking metaphorically, or not."

"We need more than a figure of speech," Auron reminded him. "Where's Yuna?"

"I'm telling you she didn't tell me much," Tidus said. "I don't know where this bird's heart is. I can't even see what's right in front of me."

Auron sighed.

Tidus caught something at the corner of his eye and he jumped around, holding his sword in place. Everyone else got into their position.

"What's that?!" Rikku said.

Tidus's gaze softened and he lowered his weapon. There was a ghostly figure outlined in a light blue aura right beside another figure that was casting a yellow light from her body. Tidus recognized that figure. Shiva's faith had shown it to him. It was him. Onryo. He was walking beside the person he had lost. It had to be.

"What are we waiting for?!" Rikku asked. "Let's get it!"

Tidus kept her. "Wait… it's okay. It's not a fiend."

Onryo's spirit was walking beside a woman, presumably Yokai, and talking softly with her. Their voices sounded like the recordings Tidus had seen from other deceased memories.

 _"But why a bird?"_ The woman asked him. _"Why not paint something else? There are more interesting things to make art from out there."_

Onryo turned to her and laughed. _"Because a bird can leave its surroundings whenever it pleases. It has the ability to be free."_

Everyone straightened up and kept their weapons by their side, except for Auron.

The woman put her hands on her hips and a small laugh escaped her.

 _"Okay, then tell me this,"_ Yokai said. _"What does a summoner want to be free from?"_

 _"What everyone else wishes to be free from,"_ Onryo said. _"Pain, suffering, the cycle… I wish that I could spread my wings and take you away from here. Where we would be safe."_

Tidus would have pitied the man, had he not kidnapped Yuna and caused all of the trouble he had. It almost felt comforting to see this humane part of him, speaking with the woman he would have done anything for. The one he would have died for.

 _"That's impossible."_ She responded to him. _"You know there's no escaping this."_

Onryo had taken her hand and brought her close.

 _"There is a way."_ He told her. _"We can be together here, on Spira. Forever."_

Tidus had a bad feeling in his lower gut.

 _"We have already gotten so much,"_ he continued. _"Now there's only one step left. We are going to consume Sin. And we will absorb everything from its core."_

Tidus should have known not to believe this memory could not have been a fiend. He had seen illusions, he had been one. Before he could react any further, both figures disappeared with a startling growl. Everyone moved closer together, all turning their heads to where the two shadows could have gone when suddenly, Gaia dropped to her knees and started whimpering. Her hands were over her ears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Wakka was kneeling in front of her and trying to comfort her, but she did not snap out of it. Not when she was hearing the childlike screams and cries.

"I-I-I… I'm sorry!" she said. "I know I should never have left you… but I've found you now! We're together again! Please, stop… Stop reminding me of what I could've done differently!"

She was frozen and none of the others could find where the source of the issue was.

"I can't see a thing!" Rikku said. She was trying to balance her flashlight with her claw and mixing kit.

Tidus got on his knees in front of her.

"Gaia, where do you see it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I can't… I can't go on… not after what I've done."

"Hey, listen to me," Wakka said. "All that's behind you now, ya? Like you said, we're together again. None of that stuff matters."

His voice was soft, yet firm, as he spoke. Gaia looked at him with watery brown eyes and nodded to him. Then she extended her trembling arm and pointed to an area right behind him.

It wasn't seen by the others, and Auron was taking a big risk at not directly striking the bird when he swung his sword at it. His sword cut into something that wasn't the ground below, and a loud screech was heard before the area became silent again. Gaia was able to stand, with Wakka's help, and she rubbed her forehead.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"I… I'm fine."

Tidus approached her. "What was it?"

She turned her head towards the ground. "I saw… I saw you." She looked at Wakka. "And I believed you when you said we patched things up, and… all that stuff that's happened doesn't matter anymore, but when I saw it… I was overcome with all of this…" she scratched the back of her head. "Guilt. It was so intense that I felt like I couldn't move. I couldn't feel nothing, except that. And I felt bad. I couldn't stop it. Sorry…"

"Don't be," Tidus told her. "I guess we know how it plans to attack us. If it can't get into our bodies, it can get into our heads."

"We'll just have to be careful about what we wanna see," Rikku said. "Maybe we should all keep a clear mind."

Auron walked in front of Tidus.

"Lead the way." He said to him.

The blonde boy never believed he would hear those words from this legendary man, considering how many people looked up to him, and not the blitzer. He merely nodded his head and Rikku handed him the flashlight. Tidus didn't want to say it, but he was terrified. His resources were several potions, an anti-possession bracer, and Brotherhood. He wasn't sure how he was going to stop this monster from ending the world with those few things. And he wasn't sure how he was going to stop himself from thinking of his own fears and faults. There was even less room for those thoughts now than before.

But he shook it out of his system, clutched the flashlight tightly, and kept walking forward with the only piece of information the fayth had given him.

 _Find the heart of broken memories._


End file.
